College Access Writing Competition - First Place: "Seeds of Knowledge"
By Maia Peterson First Place Winner of College Access Programs' Writing Competition A little-known 17th century Bohemian pastor named Jan Amos Comenius earned the name “Father of Modern Education” (Curtis et al. 119) through his work establishing an educational philosophy that promoted inclusive, diverse, and useful learning from birth to college. The core of his ideas, that “Learning was a matter of growth, not merely the acquisition of knowledge” (Curtis et al. 118) summarizes the true purpose of all education, through college and beyond. Though college attendees experience numerous lifelong benefits through dedicated work, college is not for everyone. A person determines the value of their education; an education does not determine the value of a person. But those who choose to invest in college will reap many practical and personal benefits. First, college provides many financial and personal career benefits. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, college graduates on
