As a young boy growing up in East Peoria, Illinois, I wondered how United States policy making could accurately represent a nation of hundreds of millions. I remember watching the 2000 presidential election, lying on my living room floor and imagining myself influencing monumental global change. Growing up in a city like East Peoria, I was able to observe how an area functioned that was much less prosperous than others. This humble upbringing gave me the unique insight of how certain policies have both functioned and failed for many of the inhabitants of the lower-middle to lower economic classes. My parents wanted to instill in me the values and morals of self-worth, community, true monetary value, and viewing others as equals, among many others. .
Because of these virtues my parents possessed, they placed me into the local public school system even thought I pled repeatedly to be enrolled in a private institution. At first, I was unable to fully understand why my parents were acting this way, but this notion was soon to change. While going through the motions of the public school system in America, an epiphany transpired regarding the relationship between the varying levels of government and the education system. .
The ugly truth is that the education system was and still is broken to this day, and students are not participating in it for any of the true reasons such as gaining invaluable knowledge and learning skills that will endure within them for a lifetime. This has influenced the national dropout rate to be 7%. The current dogmatic system of public education simply teaches students, which are the future of this nation, one thing. That is to become excellent test takers and memorized voluminous facts and data for simple regurgitation that one entirely forgets after the exam. .
After conceptually wrestling with this, I knew a career in public service and policy was my true calling in life.