Knowledge Is Power, By Anna-Maria Petricic
Winston Churchill said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.” You are not guaranteed to be successful so you must work hard to succeed. If you happen to fall along the way, get back up and try again; failure won’t kill you, it will only make you stronger. What counts the most is that you continue to do your absolute best even though there may be obstacles in your way. This can be seen in each of articles I read as well as in my own experience. Each person in the articles, and myself have had some sort of obstacle to overcome when it came to our education but we never gave up until we were where we wanted or needed to be. If we want to be successful and get a good education we must have determination, encouragement, and fulfillment.
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If you want to overcome an obstacle to further your education you must be determined.
In “Knowledge is Power” by Anna-Maria Petricic a schoolgirl from Croatia is determined to figure out what the words on her bookmark meant. The bookmark had a picture of superman with the words Knowledge is Real Power written on it. She knew that to have the power that knowledge brought she had to attend college. She had been hearing bad things about the college in her homeland of Croatia so she researched colleges in the United States. She was dismayed because it was very expensive. She came across a private school in Iowa that was offering a work-study program for international students. She ran into the kitchen and exclaimed, “I am going to school in America” (1)! Though her mother asked who was going to pay for it she was determined to have her dream of going to school in America come
true.
Another good example of determination is Daisy in “A Journey into Light.” Daisy is a 45 year old college student that overcame an abusive father, illiteracy and the fear of ridicule. Her father moved the family around a lot; Daisy was in seventeen schools between first and sixth grade. She didn’t mind the moving so much until she got behind in school. At the age of sixteen, Daisy dropped out of school. She was in the eighth grade but couldn’t read past a third grade level. Her mother tried to protect her the best way she could but was no match for her abusive father. After she quit school, it took her almost twenty years to teach herself how to read. She managed to do it with the help of a dictionary, stubborn determination, and driving her mother crazy with, “Mom, what word is this” (2)? Daisy now reads any and everything she can get her hands on. She is always searching for the knowledge that was locked away from her for so many years. Daisy said, “Being able to read is like being released from a dark, cold and lonely prison, and at last being able to walk in the warmth and the light of the sun” (3).
Finally, for me, determination is something I strive for. I know that without the proper education I will not be able to succeed in life. I will not being able to live out my dream of having a big family because I cannot afford it or make good money because I didn’t get my degree. My best friend, Heather, in Kindergarten had been having trouble reading. I was determined to help Heather become a better reader. I remember the two of us sitting in her room and we would read as I helped her with the words she had trouble pronouncing. Throughout elementary school I never had any trouble reading and I actually thought school was fun, probably because we got to go to recess. Once I graduated from sixth grade it was time for a new school and basically a whole new world. My grades started slipping and I didn’t like school that much anymore. I didn’t do my homework and I just didn’t care about my education anymore. Once I graduated High school I discovered that I wasn’t going to get anywhere unless I went to college and got a degree; most office jobs require you to have a degree.
Along with being determined, encouragement helps in a big way in getting your education. A good example of this is in “Knowledge is Power.” A couple weeks after the schoolgirl from Croatia wrote a letter to the University she received a thick envelope in the mail; she had been accepted. Her mother took a strong stand of support when she found out how understanding the University was. Her mother vowed to do any and everything she had to do to make her daughters dream become a reality. Her mother had borrowed money from a friend to deposit into her account so her daughter could obtain the bank’s confirmation she had the funds required by the University. However, at the last minute, her mom’s friend needed the money back and she was forced to withdraw the money. Her mother was willing to sell her old paintings from a famous Croatian artist who was now deceased. Her mother had been collecting them for as long as she could remember and had planned to open an art gallery in the artists name but instead she told her daughter, “You have to write an ad for the weekend paper” (4). She knew those paintings meant more to her mother than anything but she was prepared to sell them so her daughter could live her dream of going to college in America.
Secondly, in “A Journey into Light” Daisy’s mother tried her best to keep her father from beating Daisy and eventually left her father to try to give her a better education. This was her mother’s way of encouraging Daisy to learn to read and fulfill her dreams. When she got older she got a job at Allied Signal and after ten years she enrolled herself in a reading program at work. Since she had been moved around so much as a child she needed the reading program not only for reading but for spelling. Verna, the lady in charge of the reading program, teamed her up with Earl Riggs. Within the next year Earl helped Daisy improve her self-respect, self-worth and self-image. Daisy still sees Earl from time to time to let him know what she has been up to.
Lastly, for me, my encouragement came mostly from my dad. My mom wasn’t really around and although he was working extremely hard he always made time for my sisters and me if we needed help with our homework. He always said, “You have to go to college so you can get a good job and make lots of money to buy houses.” At the time it used to bug me when he said that, but now that I am older I see why he used to always say that to me and it has meaning to it.
Along with determination and encouragement is the fulfillment of your dreams of being successful. When the paintings didn’t sell in “Knowledge is Power” the schoolgirl in Croatia was desperate for money for her flight to America. As her mother, grandmother, brother and she were sitting in the living room a thought came to the young girls mind; “Mother, what about a credit card” (5)? she asked. Her mother agreed it was worth a try. When the girl got home from school the next day the feeling at her house was warm and before she could ask her mother smiled and nodded. Later that summer she was on a plane to America. At that moment she realized her dream had come true and she was going to get the education she longed for. It had turned out to be everything that she dreamed it would be with loving teachers, a real chance to pursue knowledge, and wonderful friends from all over the world. She realized that in everything she learned, she found the same lesson: “I can never know everything, but with what I know I can accomplish anything” (6). She has the old superman bookmark on the back of her door: “Knowledge is Real Power” and she finally knew what that meant.
Then in “A Journey into Light,” Daisy signed up for a G.E.D. program at work. Her husband, Don, was there to support her each step of the way with her G.E.D. class and math class she was taking at the college. She took her G.E.D. test and passed. Daisy said, “I have many things to be proud of – learning to read, getting my G.E.D., finally realizing my dream of going to college – but the thing I’m proudest of is becoming a Laubach reading tutor” (7).
Finally, after almost five years of attending Long Beach City College, I am fulfilling the goal I would like to achieve; getting my Associates Degree. At the beginning of the spring 2007 semester I told myself that I would do anything I needed to do to make sure I passed my classes. I decided to only take two courses instead of taking a full load. To my surprise, I buckled down and got through the semester with an A in one class and a B in the other. Although, I have not decided what my plan will be after I get my Associates Degree, I am just focusing on one thing at a time.
Your education is one of the most important possessions you will have in your lifetime. Yes, you will more than likely have to overcome obstacles but on the other side of those obstacles is success. Winston Churchill’s quote about success is very true; “Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.” You cannot expect to succeed and failing cannot kill you. Once you fail though you must have the courage to continue and that is what makes you succeed.
If you want to overcome an obstacle to further your education you must be determined.
In “Knowledge is Power” by Anna-Maria Petricic a schoolgirl from Croatia is determined to figure out what the words on her bookmark meant. The bookmark had a picture of superman with the words Knowledge is Real Power written on it. She knew that to have the power that knowledge brought she had to attend college. She had been hearing bad things about the college in her homeland of Croatia so she researched colleges in the United States. She was dismayed because it was very expensive. She came across a private school in Iowa that was offering a work-study program for international students. She ran into the kitchen and exclaimed, “I am going to school in America” (1)! Though her mother asked who was going to pay for it she was determined to have her dream of going to school in America come
true.
Another good example of determination is Daisy in “A Journey into Light.” Daisy is a 45 year old college student that overcame an abusive father, illiteracy and the fear of ridicule. Her father moved the family around a lot; Daisy was in seventeen schools between first and sixth grade. She didn’t mind the moving so much until she got behind in school. At the age of sixteen, Daisy dropped out of school. She was in the eighth grade but couldn’t read past a third grade level. Her mother tried to protect her the best way she could but was no match for her abusive father. After she quit school, it took her almost twenty years to teach herself how to read. She managed to do it with the help of a dictionary, stubborn determination, and driving her mother crazy with, “Mom, what word is this” (2)? Daisy now reads any and everything she can get her hands on. She is always searching for the knowledge that was locked away from her for so many years. Daisy said, “Being able to read is like being released from a dark, cold and lonely prison, and at last being able to walk in the warmth and the light of the sun” (3).
Finally, for me, determination is something I strive for. I know that without the proper education I will not be able to succeed in life. I will not being able to live out my dream of having a big family because I cannot afford it or make good money because I didn’t get my degree. My best friend, Heather, in Kindergarten had been having trouble reading. I was determined to help Heather become a better reader. I remember the two of us sitting in her room and we would read as I helped her with the words she had trouble pronouncing. Throughout elementary school I never had any trouble reading and I actually thought school was fun, probably because we got to go to recess. Once I graduated from sixth grade it was time for a new school and basically a whole new world. My grades started slipping and I didn’t like school that much anymore. I didn’t do my homework and I just didn’t care about my education anymore. Once I graduated High school I discovered that I wasn’t going to get anywhere unless I went to college and got a degree; most office jobs require you to have a degree.
Along with being determined, encouragement helps in a big way in getting your education. A good example of this is in “Knowledge is Power.” A couple weeks after the schoolgirl from Croatia wrote a letter to the University she received a thick envelope in the mail; she had been accepted. Her mother took a strong stand of support when she found out how understanding the University was. Her mother vowed to do any and everything she had to do to make her daughters dream become a reality. Her mother had borrowed money from a friend to deposit into her account so her daughter could obtain the bank’s confirmation she had the funds required by the University. However, at the last minute, her mom’s friend needed the money back and she was forced to withdraw the money. Her mother was willing to sell her old paintings from a famous Croatian artist who was now deceased. Her mother had been collecting them for as long as she could remember and had planned to open an art gallery in the artists name but instead she told her daughter, “You have to write an ad for the weekend paper” (4). She knew those paintings meant more to her mother than anything but she was prepared to sell them so her daughter could live her dream of going to college in America.
Secondly, in “A Journey into Light” Daisy’s mother tried her best to keep her father from beating Daisy and eventually left her father to try to give her a better education. This was her mother’s way of encouraging Daisy to learn to read and fulfill her dreams. When she got older she got a job at Allied Signal and after ten years she enrolled herself in a reading program at work. Since she had been moved around so much as a child she needed the reading program not only for reading but for spelling. Verna, the lady in charge of the reading program, teamed her up with Earl Riggs. Within the next year Earl helped Daisy improve her self-respect, self-worth and self-image. Daisy still sees Earl from time to time to let him know what she has been up to.
Lastly, for me, my encouragement came mostly from my dad. My mom wasn’t really around and although he was working extremely hard he always made time for my sisters and me if we needed help with our homework. He always said, “You have to go to college so you can get a good job and make lots of money to buy houses.” At the time it used to bug me when he said that, but now that I am older I see why he used to always say that to me and it has meaning to it.
Along with determination and encouragement is the fulfillment of your dreams of being successful. When the paintings didn’t sell in “Knowledge is Power” the schoolgirl in Croatia was desperate for money for her flight to America. As her mother, grandmother, brother and she were sitting in the living room a thought came to the young girls mind; “Mother, what about a credit card” (5)? she asked. Her mother agreed it was worth a try. When the girl got home from school the next day the feeling at her house was warm and before she could ask her mother smiled and nodded. Later that summer she was on a plane to America. At that moment she realized her dream had come true and she was going to get the education she longed for. It had turned out to be everything that she dreamed it would be with loving teachers, a real chance to pursue knowledge, and wonderful friends from all over the world. She realized that in everything she learned, she found the same lesson: “I can never know everything, but with what I know I can accomplish anything” (6). She has the old superman bookmark on the back of her door: “Knowledge is Real Power” and she finally knew what that meant.
Then in “A Journey into Light,” Daisy signed up for a G.E.D. program at work. Her husband, Don, was there to support her each step of the way with her G.E.D. class and math class she was taking at the college. She took her G.E.D. test and passed. Daisy said, “I have many things to be proud of – learning to read, getting my G.E.D., finally realizing my dream of going to college – but the thing I’m proudest of is becoming a Laubach reading tutor” (7).
Finally, after almost five years of attending Long Beach City College, I am fulfilling the goal I would like to achieve; getting my Associates Degree. At the beginning of the spring 2007 semester I told myself that I would do anything I needed to do to make sure I passed my classes. I decided to only take two courses instead of taking a full load. To my surprise, I buckled down and got through the semester with an A in one class and a B in the other. Although, I have not decided what my plan will be after I get my Associates Degree, I am just focusing on one thing at a time.
Your education is one of the most important possessions you will have in your lifetime. Yes, you will more than likely have to overcome obstacles but on the other side of those obstacles is success. Winston Churchill’s quote about success is very true; “Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.” You cannot expect to succeed and failing cannot kill you. Once you fail though you must have the courage to continue and that is what makes you succeed.