Degree or Not Degree...That Is the Question

In class this week we discussed the importance of a woman's role within a home, in her education, and the differences that are evident in our generation from previous years in where a woman's priorities should be lined. The question was posed in class, "Do your parents, specifically your mother, have a degree or any form of further education? How has this impacted your life and your viewpoints?’ My mother never went on to any secondary education and began working full-time after she graduated high school and did so until she was married at 27 and has been a stay-at-home mom ever since. My father is a tradesman and so he went to some school to continue on and become a journeyman but never got a degree. Now I'm not saying that my parents are not educated, because they are. My dad is very intelligent and is able to learn fast and efficiently and this has helped him in his career in which he has grown and become very successful. My mother is very educated as a result of being on her own and providing for herself for 9 years after graduating and she has taught her children the importance as well. Both of my parents grew up very poor and so secondary education never seemed real or a possibility to have and so they followed in their parents footsteps and just began to work. Even though my parents never received a degree or pursued secondary education, it has always been a huge importance to both of my parents because they did not have that for themselves they wanted that for their children. My older sister went to two years of community college but never graduated to receive a degree, and so far I am the only other child out of my 6 siblings who is attending University in pursuit of a degree. My older brother has followed in my fathers footsteps and has been very successful in the trades as well as my other brother. Their example was my father and so that has been an influence in their lives in seeing how successful my dad has been and they want that for themselves and are working towards that. I look at my mother and I see the missed opportunities of not having a degree however, she has taught us the importance of seeking knowledge in all things and to go and seek after truth and keep and gain knowledge. My mother has educated me into being a capable and self-reliant person who is independent and able to support myself and that is because of her experiences and the education she has received and experienced. Education does not necessarily mean getting a degree but seeking truth and my parents have done this. They engage in conversations with me about current events and teaching me values and standards that help me to make sense of things that are happening around me.