What am I thankful for this Thanksgiving? Despite the pandemic ruining all the possible gatherings with friends and families, there are various abstract nouns I should be thankful for regardless. This Thanksgiving, I would like to give thanks to all the teachers, family members, and friends who have helped me expand my knowledge to this day. Now, you might be wondering, why am I grateful for something I can’t express or feel but can share with others? Education, if I’m speaking for many, is a valuable privilege to every student and child.

As I’m typing up this article, I pause and recall my previous elementary teachers. I would like to begin with how thankful I am for the four teachers who have put up with my mischievous behavior, my dismal work habits, and my seemingly talkative mouth. Being an elementary teacher isn’t quite the easiest when you have 30 other disobedient children to look after for an entire year. Alongside the endless count of red cards I’d receive for being a troublesome child, I learned something valuable from my teachers. My teachers weren’t necessarily trying to put me in the “naughty” spot every day I walked into the classroom. Although they never told me about being successful in the future since I was still a very naive kid, they guided me towards a successful route.

From the day I learned to walk to the day I learned my first lesson of algebra, words cannot describe how thankful I am for all the teachers in my life who have helped me endure hardships and face innumerable challenges. Without education and the spread of knowledge, I would not be on the trajectory to success. And I would not be able to reach a career goal or even begin an educational journey at all.

Fundamentally, education is something that helps guide us to prosper, not solely from wealth. However, given the current pandemic situation where physical learning has switched to remote learning, we find it difficult to adapt to this unfamiliar realm. Some of us often complain, mourn, and recall moments where life was typical before an apocalyptic disease dispersed.

However, currently, 463 million kids are out of school, unable to access the fundamental privilege of education. Especially during these unprecedented times, the pandemic has ravaged millions of opportunities and futures. Kids face innumerable challenges like society hindering their successes or growing up in an inadequate environment. As someone from a first world country, it’s truly heartbreaking and disturbing to understand that about half a billion individuals are currently suffering a so-called humanitarian crisis. Education is a fundamental human privilege for all; unfortunately, there are only so many who have access, or shall I say, the key to the lock.

If we are choosing to mourn over a preference for education, understand that millions of children are out of school struggling to access basic schooling. While I’m here sitting down in a chair, in front of a functioning computer, working on a durable desk, I would like to comment that my laptop, chair, and desk are all desirable objects. A pencil, paper, book, and a sturdy flat surface are all necessities for education. But unfortunately, many are deprived of these essential tools.

In the moment of giving thanks to all the teachers in this world: parent, friend, sibling, aunt, uncle, cousin, monk, nun, priest, I would like to end on a very clear note that without these amazing heroes, I would not be where I am today. I wouldn’t be thinking of a future, a goal, or anything. It’s because of these heroes that I can continue to strengthen my superpowers. If only we can pass on the power of knowledge to a generation of deprived kids living without an education. If only we can pull a lever and somehow change the world where education is accessible to all.

Now, you may have or have not figured why education is something I am thankful for regardless of a holiday. Despite the numerous flaws of online school, I am truly grateful that there are teachers and staff out there committed to spreading knowledge and providing an education for every student. Alongside the countless heroes supporting my education, I am ultimately thankful that I have an opportunity to grow and prosper.