In October 2010, 68.1 percent of 2010 high school graduates were enrolled in colleges or universities. This fact, stated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, just goes to show you that a little over half of students decide to continue their educational journey beyond high school. One may say that some students don’t understand the importance of education or that they don’t have the drive to continue. It takes a lot of energy to crave knowledge and to know education is an essential part to becoming somebody. The key factor to this is determination. It is the key to success and I am filled with it. This is important because it shows that a person will not let any obstacles get in their way and try their best to achieve their goals.

Everyone has that one person that they look up to most, whether it is a family member, famous actor, teacher, or friend. For me, my Uncle Joe is my inspiration. His whole life revolves around work and education. I remember sitting at the table Sunday mornings and him asking, “So... what’s your GPA?” It was impossible to have a conversation with him without being asked this. You can have a discussion about cars, food, or sports, and he would find a way to twist this question in. Out of everyone in my family, he was the one who valued education the most. He would always remind me that, “knowledge is power; you can have all the money in the world but without knowledge you are worth nothing.” These words stuck with me since the fifth grade. Every time I’d see him, he would ask about school and my grades. After a while he rubbed off on me.

Wanting to be as smart as my Uncle, I started to pay more attention in school and tried my best to receive straight A’s. I won’t forget the first time I achieved this. I was in the sixth grade, sitting impatiently in my seat, waiting for my name to be called. When I heard my name, I got up from my chair, I walked up to my teacher and she handed me a yellow envelope. I opened it slowly and saw my grades. I was ecstatic! All my hard worked had paid off and a rush of relief was sent through my body. All I saw was a straight row of A’s on that piece of paper. The first thing I did when I got home that day was call my Uncle. He said he was so proud of me and believed that I can do it again. Ever since that day, I put in all my effort into my school work, and I still do. Anyone who knows me knows that I take school seriously. I put my education first before everyone and everything. Only once did I receive a C. When I saw this on my report card, I felt ashamed and disappointed. Not being able to achieve my goal made me feel like a failure. I did not want my family to see this, especially my Uncle. Although receiving this C made me work harder, I never want to see anything less than an A at the end of the semester. I am determined to continue my educational journey and become more like my Uncle.
In conclusion, my Uncle made me realize the importance of education. I understand that if I do not put all my effort into my work, I will become just another person. I want to become someone important, someone people one day will look up to and say, “Hey! I want to be just like her.” The first place to start this would be here. I guarantee that it is impossible to find a person as determined as I am. I will not let anyone or anything stop me from achieving my goals. I have chosen the path I want to take and I am on my way.