"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world"

This is a quote by Nelson Mandela, a former president of South Africa. He is famous as the country’s first black president who was elected in the first fully representative democratic election. His quote teaches us the importance of education. Whoever you are, you can be a part of members who shape the future of the world if you are educated. We can learn beliefs, values, and morals as well as knowledge and practical skills, through education. There are many problems in the world, such as poverty, conflicts, resource depletion, and environmental degradation. Education can help find a solution to these problems and make a change for the better. I like this quote because it is a very positive message to everyone in the world. We should not be hopeless even if we have many problems. We can change the world by ourselves!

When I feel tired of studying, I always remember this quote.  It encourages me to study harder. I entered environmental education program at NYU because I wanted to know what I could do to solve environmental problems we are facing today. When my country experienced the nuclear disaster last year, I felt hopeless. I thought my country was too contaminated to recover. However, this quote taught me that there is always something I can do to help my country’s recovery. When I have many assignments in my classes and want to procrastinate or give up doing them, Mandela’s quote reminds me that what I am learning now will become a foundation to get involved to solve environmental problems in the world. Learning opportunities at NYU will make me an individual who can take action to improve our society.

This quote also makes me proud of my future career as an environmental educator. After I graduate from NYU, I would like to teach environmental issues to children. Through environmental education, I want to engage people in making more sustainable world. It is difficult to change the world if there are only few people who care about the future. However, education can broaden people’s awareness and increase responsible citizen. As this quote says, I believe educated citizens can make a better choice and have a positive influence on societies.