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"I am what I am because of who we all are" -Ghandi.



"Real education consists in drawing the best of yourself" -Mahatma Ghandi.  I started my weekend by deciding to wear the comfiest clothes to Asheville which were basically an old Nike sweatpants that I bought two years ago for my PE class in Saudi, and a Tarpon Springs sweatshirt which I bought from Florida this Christmas break. My decision was because I wanted to satisfy my personal need of comfort. People at the mall won't judge me based on my clothes because they wouldn't care.  Yet the joy the I had out of that choice was worth letting go of my Ugg boots and Zara coat, and I felt very comfortable.  My decision simply shaped my mood of the day, and this is just a small example of how our decisions whether they're big or small can shape the route of where we stand in life. 

Back to my quote, I bought a book called Peace about Ghandi that consisted of several inspirational quotes by him, and I reached this quote that simply reminded me of my host mother and coordinator. Not only are they working efficiently, but also I see them everyday working with a lot of great energy that draws an impressive relationship between them and their students.  I believe that a successful educator is a person who puts everything he/she has into the work, and by that I mean having enough passion to educate and inspire the next generations. 

Finding brilliant ideas to influence a community could be challenging, but today as I visited the STEAM Expo of McDowell County Schools (after I changed my comfy clothes), I witnessed an impressive collection of science projects made by elementary, junior high, and high school students. Their ideas were very bright for their ages, and their excitement upon explaining them was indescribable. I knew that some amazing teachers were behind that, because when you educate a child, you educate a nation. And here I am coming from another nation and learning a lot of things today that I'll surely carry in my memory as a special thing during my exchange year. 

The best part about the expo was having the chance to try a very unusual smoothie that was blended by the energy of a bicycle.  What really caught my tasting buds was the flavor and the new texture. It tasted like blueberries and bananas to me, but it actually had spinach in it hidden with some other ingredients. Now those people were drawing the best of themselves in education. They came up with an idea that's new, and also creative. 

Our choices shape, define, and create us. The start of our days matter, so dress comfortably, but not everywhere. Take the best of every experience even if it was just an expo, because McDowell's was rich with valuable projects. Try new things just like the smoothie that I had and test your tasting buds.  And as for the educators out there, we, as students, appreciate everything that you do for us. We can see you drawing yourself into your work, and I just need you to know that not all students are careless, because we always know and notice all the efforts that you do.  

"I am what I am because of who we all are" -Ghandi. 

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