Getting an Education in the Face of a Challenge

In the United States, education is a given for kids from age 6 through age 18. There is an assumption that the primary education you receive is really only the beginning of you education though, that you will continue on to college, vocational school and maybe even graduate school. The education system encourages this long term commitment.

We must remember though that this system is not all encompassing. If we are to enable education for all, let us start by targeting those students who are looking to enter into the system. Those who are low income, those who are first generation student, those are the students who we should be supporting exalting for their drive. It takes a huge amount of perseverance to go through the education system when there is no a supporting culture. A great example of this is Kalaiyarasan, for the VisionsGlobal program.

Kalaiyarasan is the first in his village to attain his level of education. His parents are day laborers in his village but his father struggles to hold employment, making his family unable to cover expenses. Now, Kalaiyarasan needs help paying his tuition to complete his degree in mechanical engineering. He dreams of a better situation for his family and a sustainable source of income for himself in the future.

Next time you think about students who are achieving, remember that many of them are swimming against the current and excelling even when it is difficult.