Thankful For Education

I feel like 1 lucky chick to have had the education that I did.  So to keep up with my thankful month, today I am thankful for education.  I grew up being a part of the public education school system and I truly believe I had a wonderful education.  Not only did I come away with an excellent education, I became much more social.  To this day, even my boss calls me a social butterfly.  I work well with others and am comfortable in social situations.  Now I know some of that has to do with my personality.  But I also think a part of my comfort with people comes from public education and dealing every day with a vast and diverse group of peers, teachers and administrators.  It takes all kinds to make the world go 'round. :)

In elementary school, I had some of the most sweet and caring teachers who taught me how to be comfortable in a classroom setting and the importance of sharing.  They taught me the basics and helped me transition from "learning to read" into "reading to learn."  They laid the groundwork for how I wanted the next 10 years of my education to continue.

In middle school, I had some fun and enthusiastic teachers who taught me responsibility and to be confident in myself.  They helped me to realize all I can do is give my best and in the end, that is all that really matters.  Middle School can be tough and kids can be mean, but I think in the end it's worth what you will gain from the experience.

In high school, I had some helpful and attentive teachers/coaches who taught me time management and to believe in myself. They made me realize it's important to work hard, but it's important to have fun, too.  I had teachers and coaches who left lasting impressions on me at FD whom I will never forget.  I know some complain that their high school didn't prepare them at all for college and to some degree, I understand that argument.  But to me, college is a completely different level that in all honesty, is pretty hard to prepare for in any capacity.

In college, I had some intelligent and resourceful teachers who taught me independence and that hard work pays off.  They opened doors for me so that I could go out in the real world and be the successful person I wanted to be.  They also taught me to enjoy my last years as a student because they would be some of the best years of my life.  They were right.  I blossomed even more into the person I wanted to be and best of all, I became a Hokie for life.

I look back on those 17 years of my life with a very proud and thankful heart.  Everyone has their opinions on public vs. private or public vs. home-schooling.  All I know is that I am so very thankful for the public education I was given and look forward to my children having the same, but also realizing...to each their own. :)

A huge thank you to my Mom and Dad because I'm not naive and I know without them, I could not sit here today and write this blog post.  They were there for me not only for the financial part, but emotionally, physically, spiritually, mentally...you name it, they were there.