Idaho Statesman “Go On” Challenge Contest Update
Rebecca Nazer won $275 in the May, Idaho Statesman “Go On” Challenge contest. June’s contest is coming up. All contests are open to Idahoans, statewide. Click here for details. http://www.idahostatesman.com/idahogo/
Congratulations Rebecca for your winning essay:
“Why Do I Want to Go On?”
by Rebecca Nazer, Nampa
Imagination is anchored in the hearts and minds of all children as they imagine what they could become in the future. Whether it is a fireman or a princess, it is what they believe will make them an individual just as amazing as the ones they read about in their storybooks.
As a child I always had a book in my hand and a dream of becoming as amazing as those characters in my heart. Having dreams and imagination is what I consider to be the result of literacy. The way I look at literacy is stated perfectly by Paulo Freire in “Pedagogy of the Oppressed”, when he said that literacy “is an active phenomenon…Its power lies not in a received ability to read and write, but rather in an individuals capacity to put those skills to work in shaping the course of his or her own life.”
Literacy gave me dreams and an imagination as a child. However, as I have gained a stronger education it has taught me that to achieve the future I have dreamed about, I need to do more than just imagine it. For now it is doing the best I can in High School so that I will be prepared to move on to college. Through college I can gain the education required to make the dreams of my childhood become more than just a part of my imagination.
My dream of the future is being able to get the college education necessary to become a pediatric oncologist. I feel children who have cancer deserve the chance to have an imagination and live out their dreams. Once I gain a college education I can be on my way to helping these children. Having a college education will not only allow me to do this, but it will open doors of opportunity to go places never thought possible.
After all what Dr. Seuss said seems to be true, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” I can’t wait to see the places I’ll go!
ABOUT THIS AUTHOR
