I was in first grade when the 9/11 attacks occurred. My mom picked me up after my first class in the morning, but I had no idea why we were let out of school so early. It wasn't till I was about 10 that my parents fully explained to me the tragic event.

I grew up in Maryland right next to the District of Colombia, and until I was 13, I never knew where the Pentagon was or how close it was to my family and me. My parents explained to me that sometimes people don't like other people and some decide to take violent actions against the others. They continued to tell me that some of these incidents become inevitable after years of conflict.

I feel cheated by the education system in being prepared for the real world. I just finished a group research paper on the causation, current standing and possible road to peace on the Israel-Palestine conflict. I felt surprised when I started my research because most of the articles I read had a lot of brand new information. With the experience I have gained from research, my understanding is that neither side can come to an agreement, so neither party will be content with the outcome.

In high school I was told that my classes are helping me become a well-informed citizen. I had no idea that America was giving aid to Israel and not to Palestine. If all college students knew about the issue like they know how to add or subtract, the public would have influenced the government to take more action. There have been many peaceful agreements placed on the table for discussion, but nothing is ever agreed upon.


People in school right now are the ones who have the chance of making the difference. If we raise awareness earlier than college, the possibility of peace would increase 10-fold. Education is important; especially history so the upcoming generation isn't doomed to repeat it.