Everyone deserves to go to college

Marleigh Ostrom, 8th Grade
Evergreen Middle School, Cottonwood, CA
North State Region

I believe that everyone deserves an opportunity to attend college. It shouldn't matter if you're poor, middle-class, or rich; if you have the determination needed to attend college, you should be able to go.

I have always dreamt of going to college to give myself more options when I become an adult. Some people think that they can't follow their dreams and attend college due to the lack of money, but I believe that anything is possible.

Many adolescents my age haven't even given college a thought, but I've been thinking about it a lot. I think I want to become a teacher. I love making a difference in people's lives, and I believe that I could make learning fun for kids. But to become a teacher, you must attend college for at least four years. I also want to go to a university in California like University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) or University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB). Four or five years at a large university like one of these will be costly. With my determination, I can keep applying for scholarships, I can hopefully earn an athletic scholarship, and I can work to save up.

If anyone really wants to go to college, scholarship money should be available for them. Also, when they actually decide to go to college, there should be room for them. At this time though, there aren't enough spots for everyone to attend college.

Now that more and more people want to go to college to get a good education, I believe that California leaders should provide them with the opportunity by building more colleges, giving more scholarship money, and providing more financial aid.

I believe the California legislators should try to pass laws that would provide more scholarship funding and money for building colleges. If California people pay a little bit more taxes, we could make this possible.

I would like to contribute to a better community, state, and country. I believe going to college is the first step for all young people to not only have more success in creating a better life for themselves, but for everyone. This is why I believe California leaders should save me and my peers a spot in college.