I have some of the best memories of my life from my days as an English language teacher in Tehran, Iran. In one of my classes I had an incredibly bright student who listened very carefully in class and had an unbelievable thirst for learning, to the extent that I would think to myself that if I studied like she did, I would have been a world renounced scholar by now. She was an Afghan woman who had come to Tehran and many of the normal opportunities for education were not given to her in life. This bothered me enormously as I could see with my own eyes how smart she was, and I couldn’t help but think that she could be the next Einstein or find a cure for cancer or a solution to global warming or  something if she had the chance. How shameful the world should be for the opportunities it looses.

My friend and former student Khadijeh, now lives in New York and is enjoying new opportunities for education. She has written about this in an essay that recently won first place in an essay contest. I am proud of her and congratulate her for this achievement. This is her essay:

Participating in the Educational Opportunity Center has made my future brighter. Education is a huge benefit not only for my family and me, but also for other people. With education, I can help my children with their schoolwork. With education, I can complete my humanity.

First of all, I can say that the EOC has become the apex of my life. I am very happy that I have the opportunity to study and continue my education here in the United States. I have been an enthusiastic student since I was a first grader. I was very good at studying my lessons and was able to learn them quickly. Unfortunately, I could not continue and finish school because of the situation in Afghanistan. I traveled to several other countries including Iran, but the Iranian officials did not give me the opportunity to continue my education because foreign people are not allowed to attend school.

Unlike Iran, my participation in the EOC makes my future brighter because eventually my dreams can become a reality. What’s more, with education I feel I am very productive. Everything in the EOC is organized in a manner that fits how I learn. My self-esteem has improved because I am learning new things every day. Furthermore, because of these new skills, I am sure I am going to be a successful person because of the help and support my compassionate, patient, professional, and expert teachers at the EOC. After I finish my education, I plan to be a nurse of pharmacist and can be of assistance to other people.

Furthermore, participating in the EOC has benefited my family. With education, I can help my children with their homework, and I can participate fully in parent/teacher meetings. When my children see how easily I can help them with their schoolwork, they are proud of their mother. They do not need to ask other people for help. Therefore, they experience higher self-esteem. They can also study better and obtain more success in their own lives. I have a friend who is uneducated and could not go to school when she was a child. Her father was very strict. He did not like the girls to study. He thought study was only for boys. My friend is now married to a man who has the same idea as her father. As a result, she never found the opportunity to learn how to read and write. She has great difficulty herself and with her children’ schoolwork. Most of the time, she asks my daughter to help with her children’s homework and asks me to go with her to any school meetings. Whenever I see her and her problems, I have become more aware of the value of education and grateful for the EOC.

Finally, I believe that with education, I will be a better and more complete person with a better sense of humor and an awakened consciousness. With education, my understanding of nuances and my empathy will increase. Therefore, I can understand others and their problems. When I can identify the problems, I will be able to help all people better.

In conclusion, I believe that participating in the Educational Opportunity Center means a lot to me and my future. Continuing my education is the most important thing in my life. By participating in the EOC, I can make my future brighter, and I can help myself and others.