The Importance Of Transformative Education

I would like to believe that transformative education is all around us, we draw inspiration from what we hear, think, see and feel. Transformative education may happen at work, school or home, it's what happens at that moment that moves us to better ourselves and the ones around us intellectually. "Stay a little" (Frank Bruni) College's Priceless Value: Higher Education, Liberal Arts and Shakespeare. This quote is the beginning of Bruni's transformation, taken from King Lear's plea to his daughter Cordelia. He goes on to say "It transformed all my reading from then on". It was at this moment while in a classroom that Bruni was transformed by this quote read out loud by Anne Hall that would forever change him. Most often times it's not the big moments in life but the small ones that help to mold and define who we are and what we believe in. Some of us are born already knowing what path and purpose we will follow while others seek for rhyme and reason that will elevate them to where they want to be. I am one such person, education has been a journey for me, one that I hope has a pleasant and successful ending.

For starters, I have gone to schools in three countries and had any of them been successful I would not be in the here and now.

I have gone back and forth on several career choices but never really dedicating myself to just one. Which makes me ask myself; what am I looking for, what do I want from a career? This has long since been my dilemma and not having any eureka moments meant more stress on what my career should be. I've later come to realize that my transformative education had happened, I just hadn't put two and two together. My transformative education took place while interning at Walt Disney World in

Florida.
So, here I am a decade later from my 2005 high school graduation at Montclair attempting to earn a Bachelors in Business Administration with a concentration in Hospitality Management. I feel like this is where my transformative education will be completed. I know that my time spent at Montclair will be one of my few definitive moments in life. I've held quite a few job positions, but none had ever pulled at my heart strings the way the Hospitality Industry has. I know that may sound obtuse, but shouldn't transformative education be something emotional, should it not be a discovery of what calls to us.
Let's begin with how I came to consider studying in the field of Hospitality, that credit is due to my cousin who is like a brother to me and knows me pretty well. After seeing my frustration in trying to figure what I wanted to study and what college I should attend; he suggested hospitality. Which, quite frankly was right in front my face the entire time I just never bothered to notice how well I could do in this industry. Upon further investigation, I found out I really liked his suggestion and decided this is the direction my career should follow. Which brings me to my first year of college at Kingsborough Community College located in Brooklyn, New York.
My first year at KCC I enrolled in the Disney Internship program and spent six months interning at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa in Kissimmee, Florida. I interned as a Recreation Cast member in the Community Hall. There I made arts and crafts with families vacationing, helped with rentals of bikes and surreys and other recreation activities. I enjoyed my six months there and though I may not have known it at the time my transformative education had begun. While interning, I didn't look at it like an internship though credit was received for my time there; I was more wrap up in how happy I was making others and creating lasting memories.
Unfortunately, due to economic considerations my studies were cut short and I was unable to complete my courses at KCC. And I forgot, at least for the time being what a great time I had at Disney. This is where I began to work odd end jobs to fulfill monthly obligations and couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel. By definition, a job is "a piece of work, especially a specific task done as part of the routine of one's occupation or for an agreed price" (dictionary.reference.com). Whereas the definition of a career is "an occupation or profession, especially one requiring special training, followed as one's lifework" (dictionary.reference.com). The keywords here for me are profession and lifework, I was working a job with no end goal, but deep down unawares I had found my transformative education; the only question now is how do I continue.
After many years away from an educational institutional, I have enrolled to MSU to complete my transformative education in hopes of not just working a job but find a profession that I can call my lifework. My point is, no matter what the year is, the position you’re in or even how old you are, take a look back at your past experiences and see what was it that brought you to where you are now. There will always be things that we could have done differently but what is it that stuck with you through the good and bad times that could be improved upon.