This assignment has made me realize that my formal education began in elementary school. Elementary school was an important foundation for my future intellectual experiences. In elementary school I learned the basics such as reading, writing, and simple math. These skills are all crucial to my success in life. Not only was a basic education important, but also the teachers and faculty that I met, who influenced my social development.

George Orwell expressed a feeling of alienation in “Such, Such Were the Joys”. He cast himself as a misfit unable to understand his teachers or his fellow peers. My upbringing was so different from his. I never felt like a misfit and I had a wonderful relationship with my teachers and fellow peers. His attitude and the way he was treated made him uncertain of where he fits in society. I was always made aware of my purpose in this world. I was raised in the Catholic Church so I was taught to know that God had a place for everyone in this world.

Orwell felt alone, I never did. Even though his home was full of love and nurturing, being at Crossgates destroyed all that. All my memories of childhood were filled with love, kindness, happiness, and nurturing. Orwell was made to believe that he was not handsome enough, not strong enough but yet he was good enough to be a “scholarship boy” who can attract prospective students. How can anyone subject a child to this kind of mistreatment? To make a child believe that he or she is not good enough to be part of their society is just cruel. Children are the most precious beings on this earth. They learn by example.

My experience in regards to education was the interest and compassion that my teachers showed me. Through my elementary school years, through my high school years and even my two years at ITT Technical Institute, all my formal education has been a crucial part of who I am today. Not only has school settings played a meaningful part of my learning experience but every job I have ever had has taught me a great deal. My very first job, at the age of 15, was caring for an elderly woman; she was the mother of the priest at my church. Even though it was just for a few hours a few days a week, I learned the importance of being responsible and how much one human being’s influence can teach you. I learned a valuable lesson that year and I still learn by helping others.

Sim and Bingo did not nurture nor raise those boys to manhood. They gave them a sense of insecurity. They only cherished the rich boys, the boys who came from wealth. These two adults did not aid Orwell in any way. This only added to his misery as a young child. They did not teach him as I was taught by the elderly woman I cared for. They made Orwell believe that bed-wetting was a sin and that he in turn was a sinner. Not once did they realize that maybe this was a sign of his misery. I can’t even comprehend what it was like to deal with this type of psychological upbringing.

Even Orwell admits that not all his days at Crossgates were unhappy. He actually had a really good relationship with Mr. Brown, the second master. Through all his misery he was still able to find some happiness because of the nourishing relationship with Mr. Brown. I personally cannot relate to the type of misery that Orwell endured but I can relate to the nourishing relationship one individual can bring to your life. Mr. Brown did exactly that, he fostered him by taking him on some type of expedition in the summer time. For my opinion this was a lesson in empathy, it gave Orwell a chance to know that someone at Crossgates did care.

Mr. Brown was teaching young Orwell the meaning of a happy life during his schooldays. If even for a small period of time, Orwell’s formal educational experience was changed to a happy one. Children learn in a stable, happy environment not in the type of environment Orwell had to be in. The way children are taught today is more productive, more encouraging and makes the child want to succeed.

I attended ITT Technical Institute from June 2001 through June 2003, graduating with highest honors and obtaining an A.A.S. in Computer Network Systems. This was the greatest challenge in my formal educational experience but my most rewarding. I worked full-time while going to school 3 times a week. I had to sacrifice the lives of my children in order to make my dream a reality. Although, I had a great childhood, education beyond high school was never enforced in my household so I didn’t have the drive to go on. I chose to have a family in place of my education. This sacrifice was worth it for all of us. It taught my children and me the importance of education.

My experience at ITT was somewhat good. Learning about Information Technology and learning how quickly technology changes was an absolutely fascinating experience. Each instructor had his or her way of making someone learn. Others did not. I had to deal with the stress of not having books or computer lab available when they were supposed to be.

As a parent, you learn and teach something different everyday. I try and teach my children about the good and bad in the world, about right from wrong, about being kind to others, about real versus unreal, and proper health and nutrition. Without proper health and nutrition or lack of sleep, children can’t possibly be learning to their full potential. Each day I learn a valuable lesson from my children, through an experience they may have had at school or on their way home. No matter how old we get, we will always keep learning or at least we should always keep learning and teaching.

I learn best by doing. I’m a hands-on type of learner. I can sit in a theory class for hours and not learn anything. My mind tends to drift elsewhere when I’m put in this type of setting. But if I’m working on something while the instructor is lecturing, everything that is being said is sinking in. This is because I need to visualize what I’m being taught.

I’m currently a Business Analyst at Thomson BETA Systems. I have learned a tremendous amount from this role. I not only learn the rules of correct writing each and every day, which by the way is not a strength of mine, but I also have learned to be more of a critical thinker. I deal directly with our programming staff so this is critical to my survival as a business analyst. For every enhancement that is requested, I need to analyze every aspect of it along with providing the business needs. Why would one way of doing things be more logical than another? My current learning environment is more analytical thinking and I needed to be more technically inclined. This overall is the reason why I needed a degree in Information Technology.

I have had opportunities to learn in a classroom setting through our Educational Development department at work. These are classes dealing with work related topics but have been very beneficial in my learning process. Every class has a different instructor teaching it so I get a chance to learn from the different teaching skills. Not only does the instructors lecture but also you get a chance to work on things hands-on. Again, for me this is the best way for me to learn.

Overall, I would say that my formal educational experiences have been pleasant. The more I learn, the more confident I feel about myself and the more I can offer my children and my employer. Knowledge is the key to success so each waking day I thank God for giving me another chance to learn something new.