My Culture: Education

When asked to think about the culture that I grew up in, the first value that comes to mind is education. My parents did not go as far in the education system as they could have. My father dropped out after middle school and joined the military and my mom made it through high school. They have always drilled it into me that a higher education is the way to go.

                That idea is becoming especially relevant in our society today. Many employers will not hire you if you do not have a college degree, making it almost a necessity. You are looked at as lazy, unmotivated, or rebellious if you choose not to attend. I remember back when I graduated high school. We had a graduation party for me with all my family. Every single one of them asked me where I was going to school next. When I told them that I was heading to Michigan Tech, they all got excited and were congratulating me and making a big deal out of it. Now, I can honestly tell you that most of them probably didn’t know much about Michigan Tech, or what it offered, or even where it was located, but none of that really mattered. It was just the fact that I had a school picked out and I was going out to further my education.

                That’s the thing. In recent times it doesn’t really matter where you go or what you even study. Just the simple fact that you are looking out for yourself and taking the next step makes you look good in the eyes of our society. Of course colleges are always trying to sway you in their direction because that in itself makes them look better. This college has a better job placement rate, or that one is more hands on. This one is bigger, that one is smaller. We hear all these comparisons everyday thanks to the media. The question is which one should we choose? That is based on our schemata, or world view. Each of us sees the world in a different way, which shines the spotlight on what we feel, is the best college.

                That brings us back to this idea of culture. Our world view is partially shaped by our culture. Because of my parents trust in me and constant pushing for me to make the most out of my life, I looked into Michigan Tech. With its high job placement rate, and excellent educational record, I know that this would be the place for me. I was told by my parents that money was not an issue and that whatever school I wanted to attend; we would find a way to fund it. If I lived in a different culture, however, I may not have been so lucky.

                A big part of how we see education is based on the culture that we were raised in. For instance, if I were born in a small village in Africa, as a girl I may not have even had the option to go to school. I would have been trained by my mother from a young age to do housework and how to raise a family, while any brothers that I may have had went. I would have looked down upon any schooling, let alone college because in my culture it would have been unusual for a girl to even think about school. In many cultures around the world, it is seen as a women’s job to raise the kids and clean the house. To cook, clean, and care for her husband while he goes to work and earns whatever little money they receive.

                Each culture has its own set of beliefs and it is because of how I was raised that I know how important education is. My high school never really had the best sports teams, but our academic teams were spot on. Although many people joked about the education we received upon graduation. I know for a fact our school put a high priority on it. That is the community that I was raised in. From a young age were trained to look highly upon education. As we started kindergarten, we were given small assignments and told to bring them back, we began counting and writing and learning in ways that we all thought were just fun and games. We had the framework for a good education drilled into our brains. We saw it as a “norm” to be a good student, to listen, and to turn in your homework. We were praised when we did well, and scolded when we messed up until we began to learn.

 It is from those cultures that we are shown what we should value and believe in and it is from living within those cultures that I can proudly say: I value my education. I believe that my education is going to take me wherever I want in life and beyond, and it is those values and beliefs that I want to show to my future children as well. That is what culture is all about.