Jason's Application to college

My baby boy is applying for college. That in itself is something I am very proud of. Not only of him, but of me, too. I never attended college. I was a teenage mom, and didn't really have the best of guidance growing up..... I resolved to raise him differently than I was, and intentionally instilled beliefs and values in him that, thank GOD, have come to fruition.

This is one of the essays he wrote from one of the applications. He was to share an experience through which he gained respect for intellectual, social, or cultural differences. He was limited to the amount of words.

In my sophomore year, our National Honor Society chapter went to the state convention. The guest speaker, a former state senator, talked about the importance of teaching and learning. I'll always remember what he told the assembly that night. He approached the microphone and begin to tell a story. It was about a king, who sent three knights out into the kingdom. Their task was to each bring back a worthy person to be rewarded for their profession. They returned, and brought with them three people of different social stature. One knight brought a doctor, and another brought a scientist. The third knight returned with an old woman. The king asked why each should be rewarded. The first knight said the doctor should, because he is skilled. The second knight said the scientist should also, because he is brilliant. The king then asked why the old woman was chosen, and the third knight replied, "This lady is their teacher." After the story, I realized the message the senator was trying to convey. Although the woman wasn't immediately recognized as intelligent or socially valuable as the doctor and scientist, as a teacher, she had inspired their minds and deserved the same respect.