KaitlynGrantTellPart1

What Does it Mean to get a College Education? To me, a college education is something that was always pushed as being very important. I was told it was a way I could be sure of supporting a family and myself one day, and making something for myself. And I think everything I've been told is important. Going to college and getting an education forces you to learn about new things and ideas that you may have not learned elsewhere. You learn how to work with people of different backgrounds, and take care of yourself. However this being said, my own father does not have a college degree yet he was an extremely good job at the top of his company. He more than supports our family and is a very intelligent man. He got to where he was by climbing the ladder and gaining experience.Nowadays it is hard to become a main part of a company without a college degree because a lot of the times, they just won't give you the chance.

What Does Being Educated Mean to You?

To me being educated is not necessarily going to a great school and reading a ton of books. I think that education is all around us. It's in the people we interact with, the culture that surrounds us, the music we listen to, the places we go etc. I think people that open themselves up to the beliefs of others and accept everything about the world around them could be considered educated. I also think that there are multiple levels of intelligence. One person may be gifted in music, another in math, another in languages etc. We may be more educated in one area than another person, but we could both be equally intelligent.

What Experiences Have You Had with Education to Lead You to This Belief?

The interaction I have had with my family and schools have greatly affected my point of view on education. I also spent 5 weeks this summer in the Dominican Republic,and I definitely think that this helped to shape how I view being educated. Those people may not be literate and they may not know simple mathematics, but they can build houses with their own hands. They can take care of their livestock. They know how to safely navigate their cities etc. They are educated in a different way than I am, but I would still consider them educated.