Education is important, go get yours

  • Published
  • By Paula Taylor
  • 90th Missile Wing Museum Director
F.E. WARREN AIR FORCE BASE, WYO. --  With high school and college graduations happening this time of year, I decided education is the topic of my commentary. It is an important part of any person's growth. In this day of economic uncertainty, anything can happen. I feel one way to take care of yourself and your family is to try to continue on with any educational opportunities are available to you.

I take education very seriously. Just like most young people, in my early 20s, I was having a hard time trying to figure out what to do with my life. I have to thank my maternal grandfather. You see, I went on to get my master of arts in history because of his influence. Thanks to him, I am able to support myself and my family successfully and will hopefully have a comfortable retirement to enjoy.

My grandfather's name was George Soppe. He had to quit school in the sixth grade as he was the oldest of four, and his family needed extra income to help his sisters attend school. He said he never regretted being able to give his three sisters college degrees in nursing and accounting, but through conversations, I know he would like to have had the opportunity to further his own education. His misfortune was he lived at the wrong time. I say this because he raised his family during the 1930s depression. There were some weeks he was able to bring home 50 cents from scooping half-a-ton of coal to feed his family. Even though his life was hard, he had a strong belief in education. He always believed in people going to school, and he encouraged all ten of his grandchildren to continue on with their education.

When I had just finished acquiring my Bachelor of Arts from the University of Wyoming with a history degree, I really did not know what I wanted to do from that point on in my life. Grandpa Soppe said something to me I still respect to this day. He said he never had the opportunity to continue in school and living through the depression was hard enough for one person, let alone trying to raise a family, during that difficult time.

"No matter what anyone does with their life, an education could never be taken away from them once they had acquired it," he said.

I took this statement to heart. I decided after his death to continue on with my master's in history.

The military traditionally encourages many different avenues to better ones self through educational opportunities. The pitfall is, people's jobs do not always allow one to easily continue their education, and if it is not your job, the complications of being married and having a family can get in the way of educational opportunities. There are so many wonderful chances to take classes, in the classroom or online, no matter if you are working on your associates or your doctorate degree.

If you have needed help paying for some of the educational opportunities, I know there are many scholarships anyone can apply for to help pay for your knowledge earned. If you do not know where the education office is, it is in Bldg. 841. If you have not visited the Warren Airman & Family Readiness Center in Bldg. 207, then you need to put this on your list to accomplish.

I would like to encourage everyone to take advantage of all the programs and opportunities to further your education, because my grandfather was right. No matter how bad the economy becomes, an education is something that can never be taken away from you. I have made a life commitment to myself to continue to learn until the day I die; what about you? Are you willing to make that same commitment?