Jeff Mortimore

I had a teacher that once said, thinking is education.  Thinking, she said, opens the doors to our mind and allows us to be receptive to the very idea of broadening our horizons and learning new things.  She used to say, “Question everything and anything, and you shall learn in the process.”

At Dragonfly Transitions, we value the importance of education and believe it is one of the pivotal skills for wholehearted living.  The value of education in today’s society runs deeper than merely success in worldly terms.  Education has the possibility of releasing us from the confines of our mind and forces us to think and question.  Education makes us broadminded.  In fact, there is no better time than the present to understand this concept.  Globalization has transformed the world into one big village, the borders don’t count and neither are there any restrictions as far as gaining knowledge is concerned.  It is possible for us to know about the different cultures or events taking place at the other end of the world.  Learning about new things and different cultures not only adds to our literacy bank but also instills in us humane qualities such as compassion, understanding, empathy and discernment.

Education helps an individual acquire social skills, which enable him/her to interact with people around them, maintain social relations, and blend well with others in society.  Education is an individual’s tool to thrive in society.  As a part of the educational system, every individual learns with a group of other individuals.  Throughout education, the student becomes part of the larger group.  These years expose him to competition and inner discovery.  This is when an individual tastes both successes and failures.  Education also helps in the building of interpersonal skills.

It’s on the basis of education that a young adult can pursue their dreams.  Education helps a person meet career objectives and achieve economic growth.  Education builds resourceful human beings, critical thinkers and personal fulfillment.  An educated individual having experienced its positive effects, encourages the idea of education, paying it forward and improving our culture.

Education cannot remain confined to books and classrooms alone.  Other than these sources, it has to be sought from anything and everything one does.  Whether it’s participating in our groups and adventures, or the process of self discovery, it makes our body healthy and therefore strengthens the mind for seeking more knowledge, exploring new horizons.  Education also provides opportunities to interact with people from all walks of life.  It leads to a better understanding and an exposure of how the world lives and thinks. Education means to go beyond the degrees and continue to achieve things by acquiring knowledge.  In the real sense, education means to evolve from being an individual to being a human being, capable of not merely ‘surviving’ but living life with a greater intention.

Students that enroll in Dragonfly Transitions are always given the option to further themselves educationally with the many options available in our community.  We have a wealth of resources available. Oregon Institute of Technology was recently named one of the top ten western schools by US News.  Klamath Community College offers many certificate programs and vocational training as well as general education opportunities.  Additionally, we have a variety of online high school programs for those students needing to complete their studies.  GED testing and certification and onsite tutoring is offered through Klamath Adult Learning Center.

Ultimately, it is the power of choice that opens the door to discovery.  It is the power of the journey, achieving new skills, new beliefs that have always been there, just hidden and waiting to be unveiled.

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world”. – Nelson Mandela