Letter from Colin

Dear Friend,

How are you doing? Right now I am out of school and on break.

I mostly spend my time helping at a local summer camp and working on some leftover school work.

Although summer has lasted a while, it is finally time for me to go back to school. Recently, I have looked into Africa’s history with Europe and colonization. Do you see the past influencing you today and if so, how? The United States is very disconnected from Africa and African history and politics are rarely mentioned.

In the U.S. a lot of people think of education as a right rather than a privilege.

Public education makes it possible for everyone to get a basic education. The quality of your work directly influences how successful you will be. Students are mostly evaluated on their understanding of subjects and their intelligence is measured through their grades. Do you have a different view of what intelligence is and how it should be measured? What was your education like? How do you see your education influencing your future?

When you think about your future, what do you see?

I often find it difficult to see farther down the line and the future seems very nebulous. I’m trying to delay thinking about a career for as long as possible. Do you think that money is more important than doing something that you love? Money can be used to help others, but doing something that you love brings happiness. I’m fortunate because my education has enabled me to choose a career path.

I hope to hear back from you soon and I can’t wait to read your responses.

Sincerely,

Colin Yoon