Scholarship Essay Entry – Curtis P.

Entering my fourth and final year of the Bachelor of Arts program at Grant Macewan University, it has become evident to me that the value of a post-secondary education simply cannot be underestimated. The education I have received thus far has undoubtedly changed me (and will continue to change me) irrevocably. It has sharpened and defined my perspective of the world, affording me a much deeper and more genuine appreciation for it, and has consequently opened my eyes to a wide spectrum of possibilities of which to pursue. This realization and appreciation did not come merely from learning what was taught, however, as it continues to become increasingly clear to me that the world is much too complex to reduce to a series of right or wrong answers (fortunately for us, the world is not that simple).
 
Rather, the greatest value of an education, in my opinion, is much more subtle and profound. The capacity for independent thought is not taught externally, but, rather, it is only achieved through the rigorous internal struggle for knowledge and understanding. This is the greatest gift that a post-secondary education has to offer, as it forever informs a person fundamentally, allowing for earnest, analytical thought and the ability to learn independently. The result is a lifelong pursuit of truth and understanding, which affects all facets of life, from the highest of ideals to everyday life. As such, an education liberates the mind, permitting it to explore and analyze the world on its own terms, guided and subject only to the idea of truth. I  believe that through practice and continued education, this liberation only becomes more pronounced, and although my current faith and beliefs may waver in the future (such is life), this foundation of independant thought will renew each faith and belief in better alignment with what is intrinsically right and true. 
 
As such, I believe that Journalism is an ideal complement to this philosophy, as it is the single duty of both the critic and the journalist to analyze the world objectively; to apply all of his learning, understanding and intuition in order to arrive as close to the truth as possible, and to then share this truth with the world at large. This being said, I intend to pursue a degree in Journalism after I have finished this final year of my Bachelor of Arts, and, in doing so, I sincerely believe I will be making a noble contribution to my community. For, to do anything less would be an insult to the character my education has thus far has forged.