By Anthony Lombardo ’23

I sit here presently thinking about all those who don’t have access to the basic essentials of life. All those riches and precious puzzle pieces necessary for the function of my body are somehow not accessible to all. Upon reflecting, I believe that an education and an opportunity to thrive in society is necessary for every single human.

School is so expensive, but why? Adults are often stuck paying loans decades after graduating college, but why? Some families don’t even have the means to allow their children to discover the whole new world of opportunities that knowledge offers, or even discover their true potential, but why? A completely irrational concept in my eyes.

We have a duty, as a society, to ensure that every single human, whether as poor as a church mouse or stranded in the middle of the desert, has access to the key that could unlock their true passions. I find it ridiculous that a child must rely on their parents being wealthy enough to pay for an education. Somehow, a child must wish to be lucky enough to be born into the minority of wealthy families in order to have similar opportunities as others. 

Even those fortunate enough to be brought up into prosperous families/areas can suffer the torture of student loan debt. Why must most people be handcuffed every year when loans still need to be paid by the (supposed) fruits of their labor while some lazy and lucky losers feast on their extreme luck. 

Now, I’m not saying that those fortunate enough to live comfortably should not take advantage of it, but there should be an opportunity for everyone. Creating schools funded by the government in areas where children dream of what could have been, or what if, would not only open doors for those individuals, but also reward society. A place where everyone has a key to the lock would create a more prosperous and efficient society.

Though I can’t create a change if I stand alone, the support of others would veer this idea to be more powerful than any individual. A clear majority has suffered the price of knowledge. A clear majority has dreamed about thriving in whatever aspect of life only certain keys unlock. A clear majority acknowledges education as an essential to a human life. A clear majority should therefore stand in unison and advocate for their beliefs to create a world free of invisible barriers where free education exists and every individual can truly be free. 

At the moment, life is a game, but rigged in favor of those who have access to some cheat codes granting them an education. The light that an education brings to one’s life is truly astonishing. It unveils gold buried deep inside our brains. Now, what if everyone had the same cheat codes for this game? An even game would be in play, and cheating would no longer be relevant: everyone’s a winner. I now think to myself: what if? I hope that one day wondering what could have been will become non-existent.