All the way from Ecuador...

Public education and student scholarships are important. 

I don't know how many people read this blog (it seems like a good number of you, from your emails) but I've got a platform here and I'm going to use it. 

From the scale of things, rising tuition costs may not seem like the most important issue. And trust me, having spent a month here in Ecuador, I've gotten to personally encounter things like malaria, malnutrition, crime, various vector-borne diseases and extreme poverty. I get it. Given the choice between saving a deathly-ill child and donating money for student scholarships...the answer seems so clear. 

But public education matters. It absolutely, unequivocally matters. Why? 

Because the doctor, nurse, social worker, and government official that found that sick child, got her out of the jungle, treated her, and paid for her recovery all went to a public University, all got a scholarship of some form, and are all giving back (true story). 

That's why. 

I'm not saying you have to donate your money somewhere to help save public education in California (though that would be nice!). I'm saying that it's a big enough issue to care about. It's a big enough issue to talk about. To learn about. To write to your senator and legislator about. To save, restore, and improve. 

For those of you who are receiving or have received education from a public university (and/or were helped by a scholarship)...who would you be without it? Deep down, most likely, the same person. But would you have the same skills? Would you be able to express yourself the same way? I've always heard that experience counts. For me, my experience was priceless. I wish that same joy for others. 

So, all the way from Ecuador, just asking you to think about it. :)