[areed]

This reminded me of an assignment I had for health class in my senior year of high school to help someone. I chose to encourage another kid in my dorm to go to college after graduation (he wasn't from a family with a tradition of going to college). I would just talk to him about where I was thinking about going and all the different options. By the end of the semester he was talking about going to college too. No idea what became of him, but I like to think I had a positive impact on his life.

[harlanji]

I dated a girl who went to MIT at the end of high school, myself as a drop out. If not for her I’d probably not have considered education seriously. “Why would anyone go to more school?” was my attitude. She never pushed me to do anything, but imagining her trajectory was inspiring. She’d had immigrant parents who got educated in the US. 8 years later I finished a bachelor’s degree, full time during my major courses. My path gets no love from the outside, but I am happy with it when compared to outcomes of others sofar from similar backgrounds.