Searching for a meaning in life One question that people speculate about more than anything else is what they are searching for in life. It is a question that many, including myself, do not know. But after living sixteen years, my eyes were opened to an idea my father explained to me. Instead of searching blindly for something, make something worth searching and find that. My father’s philosophy helped me set a goal of wanting to become a teacher. But as my understanding of the world increased, my desire to become a teacher was missing something. That missing thing was helping underprivileged, impoverished children receive a quality education.
My family, coming Korean schooling, valued the importance of education and school. My father would really emphasize how much an education could affect one’s life. He was not the most supportive father, but he was still a good father. He told me that my education will help others. Being a stubborn, young child, his words meant nothing to me until a trip to Africa changed that.
Until taking a trip to Africa, I took school for granted. However, meeting a boy named Joseph, who was eager to learn and go to school, altered my perspective. But then he told me something that hit me like a train. He was not able to come to school for nearly seven months because his mother had contracted malaria. He stayed home to watch his mother. It was his story that really opened my eyes. My education was meant for something more than how much money I