We sit in a chair all day listening to teachers lecture about subjects we most likely have no interest in. Then we get up go to a different classroom with different people and repeat the process over again this time with new material trying to be shoved into our brain.We’re forced to pay attention and comprehend everything despite all the world’s distractions. For certain people it’s difficult to succeed in school. I don’t blame them due to many factors in and out of school that can block one from success. Although there can be many factors that stop someone from using education to their advantage and succeed, everyone is capable of hard work. With hard work and dedication it’s very possible to succeed in education.

When I was a little girl I remember being overly enthusiastic about going to school. I still remember walking in my first day. I had a pink Pebbles backpack that was bigger and heavier than me. The class smelled like fresh baked cinnamon buns and the pumpkin spice tickled my nose. I got the sense I was home laying in bed with my mom under a blanket. I reflected on the morning when I would wake up to see my mom drinking her rich dark black coffee with a teaspoon of splenda sugar. When my hands were freezing she would let me hold her deep black coffee to warm them up. We sat on the couch and my mom would tell me “mija turn on the T.V. our novella is about to begin.” The two of us alone could watch those cheesy soap operas all day. That all changed the minute I walked into the hand sanitizing smelling classroom with screaming and crying kids.

My parents always encouraged education on me but they never enforced it. It was up to me to put the work into it and really push myself. I think back and realize I wish they would have forced it upon me, I wouldn’t have liked it but it would be for the best. As I was younger, my parents never needed to tell me to do my homework I already knew what I was required to do. My parents helped me,but they wanted me to become independent. One of my favorite things growing up was reading with my dad. We went outside to our front porch. My dad always cut the grass deep green grass in straight horizontal lines. In The hard the yellow flowers had been planted next to the white ones. The neighborhood was quiet and the warm breeze was gentle. I read to him while he circled all the words I didn't know how to read or read them wrong. Slowly my dad would drift into sleep. Eventually I started to make up my own story. As he took a nap on the swinging couch I would run to the background and play on the playground or go in the tree house. I wasn't very sneaky because most of the time my mom would see me through the kitchen window. After reading, we all sat at the table on the deck where the backyard was. My mom came outside to join us and asked “ who wants some ice tea” ?

All those fun peaceful moments turned into stress and anxiety. I moved quite a couple of times sometimes out of the state. In Elementary school, I felt empty my dad and brother were out of the picture. We went from a family of five to three. My mom slowly became sad, which affected me as well. I would pretend to be sick for the fact that I couldn't bare going to school. The teachers didn't understand nor did I ever tell them. They gave up on me. The truth was I was just slowly drifting off the path. I needed a support system when it came to leading me back on track. The teachers didn't seem to worry about me at all. On the inside, I was broken to them they thought I simply didn't care. At the time, when I needed support from teachers the most is when they failed me. I started missing more and more school and falling behind. They let me drift away. Like me many students have their issue. Like Malcolm X, Maxine Kingston, and Sherman Alexie they faced many challenges with the educational system. They overcame those difficulties to later succeed in education. 

One thing we fail to see is the viewpoint of those students who don’t get a single chance at education. In other parts of the world, it’s too expensive to have the privilege to go to school. There could also be other factors like the fact that it could be dangerous. There is also the reason that students simply don’t care  enough to bother continuing their own education. Schools could alter their schedules to fit things they are actually interested in. This would encourage them to go to school. For example cosmetology, barber, auto tech, criminal justice, robotics, ceramics, music programs, would all be curses that could help students actually make a career out of. This also helps them look forward to something.

Winning in education doesn’t have to mean having an amazing job that pays millions of dollars. Winning means being happy on your our terms. Knowing you have a job that makes you happy and worth the time. Education is important and how you use your gained knowledge determines your true success. Many negative factors can stop one from continuing in education, but with hard work it’s possible. Many people have overcome all the odd despite obstacles.