My Education Story:
Why did I go to college? This is a really hard question for me. I remember always knowing I was going to go to college/ wanting to go to college. Neither of my parents graduated from college and they strongly encouraged going, so the seed was kind of planted at an early age.
What does education mean to me?
Education is a process. One part is the acquisition of knowledge about various topics which can and will hopefully give a person new perspectives on the world. The other part is the process of acquiring the knowledge, this is the part that teaches a person about their self.
I got my undergraduate degree from Central Washington University, I chose this school mainly because they offered me a softball scholarship. Things didn't pan out how I had expected so I made the best of my situation and decided I was going to graduate after my third year and apply to law school.
I graduated with a bachelors in "Law and Justice" and headed East to attend Gonzaga University School of Law. I will admit Gonzaga was not my first choice school, not even my third. (I got denied from my top picks)
If I had my choice of school and could do it all over again, I would chose Gonzaga. Since Gonzaga is a private school the tuition is high, but it also gives generous scholarships. The school felt like it's own little community, the professors and staff were always helpful. Not to mention, the campus is beautiful and Spokane is a very affordable place to live. Of course the basketball games are a lot of fun too.
My time at Gonzaga was amazing, I made life long friends and learned so much about myself and life in general (as cheesy as that sounds).
Externships offered through Gonzaga gave me the opportunity to work at different law offices for school credit. Externships are an awesome perk to going to college because they allow a person to gain experience while receiving school credit and essentially giving a career path a test drive. I was able to work at the City of Spokane and the Snohomish County Prosecutor's Office.
My favorite parts of college:
College wasn't always easy and law school especially wasn't always easy, but there is something very satisfying and rewarding about overcoming a challenge.
Meeting new people and going to sporting events was also a lot of fun.
WFW students should go to college because college teaches a person more than what he or she reads from a textbook. Even at a local community college, individuals can gain exposure to new experiences and diversity. College also teaches many life skills.
Law school especially taught me how to manage relationships, my time, and even stress. It also taught me how to become more accepting of people who have opinions and beliefs that are different than my own. (I think this is the most valuable thing I learned in college).
