Be the Change by Shai

Be the Change by Shai - September 2025 Scholarship Essay

Ten years. That’s 3,652 days to make a difference for the students who are your future doctors, musicians, and engineers. Technology is improving more than ever. We need to adapt to the innovations that are changing the way we live our lives. Teach students how to utilize the resources that can change the world rather than taking them away. For example, artificial intelligence is not going away. Instead of telling our students that it is bad and should not be used, we should be teaching the students how to use the innovations. In the future, artificial intelligence will be integrated into careers and even the education system. We should be embracing the change rather than pushing it away.

Students should be learning the life skills and values that they will use outside of the classroom. When they are 18, moving out of their childhood homes and on their own for the first time, what is it that they need to know? The students will not be in the classroom or at their parents' house for the rest of their lives. To set each student up for success, we need to see a change in the material being taught in schools. Finance, taxes, budgeting, job interviews, communication, and how to use/do things around a home that might not necessarily be common knowledge are all things that aren’t being taught in schools or aren’t being required to learn. There are already several organizations, such as HOSA, FBLA, and other organizations like that, which are bringing real-world applications into the education system. In 10 years, I want to see classes that are dedicated to teaching students what they need to know outside of a classroom.

There are so many skills that are acquired through experience. So why are students stuck at a desk for seven hours a day, then sent home with two or three hours of homework? Not to mention any pressure that may come from the home. No wonder so many students struggle with mental health. From the time you start kindergarten to the time you graduate high school, our brains are continuing to develop. In high school, students are expected to be at school for 7 to 8 hours and then are sent home with hours of homework. That leaves very little time for any connection with any other people or any hobbies. Many students are now struggling with being overwhelmed and feeling like there’s not enough time to get everything done. In the future, I want to see an education system where students don’t feel stressed, but rather feel encouraged to learn because they know that they’re not being oppressed to only education, but they’re able to still experience their childhood while it lasts.

Ten years. That’s plenty of time to change the material, the purpose, and the requirements for education in primary, secondary, and high schools. We have the power to create the change we want to see. What can be done now to help our future students focus on learning rather than being overwhelmed and exhausted at the thought of education?