The Pursuit of Education

"The Pursuit of Education"

Nelson Mandela said "Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."Education can change minds, civilizations, even governments, and it remains the most valuable thing in the world. In the circuit we read about a boy who does all he can to overcome his circumstances to gain his education, and on the other hand we have "Meet the Organization Kid" in which privileged students study for days on end to get their degree. It is obvious after reading "The Circuit" and "Meet the Organization Kid" that race, income and how one is brought up does not make a difference when it comes to the want for education.

In both stories both authors talk about two completely different races. But both makes it clear that no matter what color you skin is or where you came from matters when it comes to the importance of education. Jimenez was a immigrate, who has now taught at college all through out the United states and Mexico. He picked crops with his dad and brother. Moving from place to place when the seasons changed. He always looked forward to the end of the grape season because that meant time for school. "It was Monday, the first week of November. The grape season was over and i could now go to school. I woke up early that morning and lay in bed, looking at the stars and savoring the thought of not going to work and of starting sixth grade for the first time that year." This kid knew the importance of an education. Even though he had to work to help his family out. When the grape season was ending all he could look forward to was school. He had even struggled with his english. But he went his lunch hours working on his english with his teacher. He didn't let the fact that he only knew spanish with a little bit of english stop him form pursuing the one thing he what more than anything an education. Brooks is talking about privileged young adult who attend Princeton University it. It was said on a University website "Contrary to popular belief, Princeton has a diverse student population; in a recent year, thirty-two percent of students identified themselves as minorities (including African-American, Asian American, Hispanic, Native American, and foreign national) and students hailed from all fifty states and more than ninety-five foreign countries." That proves that the strive for education goes way beyond your race and where you came from.

In some situations, income can also be a deciding factor for many people's pursuit of education. In both "The Circuit" and "Meet the Organization Kid" students come from a bunch of different incomes. Jimenez talk about how the reason this boy can't go to school is because he family has it hard and he has to help work to make money for the family and have a place for them to sleep. "Papa then took out a pencil and began to figure out how much we earned our first day. he wrote down numbers, crossed some out wrote down some more. Quince, he murmured." He father after a full days work counts to see how much all three of them made together and it was fifteen dollars. But even though that was all they were making they allowed him to go to school. As it was stated in a public education website "It is a common misconception that only those from affluent families are able to attend higher learning institutions." It goes on to say that no matter if you come from a low income family you can still afford to get higher education because there