Adventures in Learning

As students, we are told that we are being made into an “informed citizenry” capable of maintaining a vibrant democracy. Indeed, we are told that we must give up most of our constitutional rights in the name of achieving this goal. We are compelled to attend an institution where our every action, from speaking, to moving, to going to the bathroom is strictly controlled by an authority figure. We have no right to due process in this institution, the word of the school authorities is final, and in fact our meager protestations of any wrongful accusation are often called “disrespectful” and used as another justification for punishment. We are also limited in our freedom of speech and of assembly, we cannot leave class to assemble and petition our government and the Supreme Court has explicitly prohibited any speech that would disrupt the educational process. Most of the first 18 years of our lives are fundamentally shaped by a process in which we have absolutely no say. This seems explicitly nonsensical. Should we give up our democratic rights in the name of preserving democracy? Does an institution which has power over countless individuals without giving them any representation or say in how this institution is run really the best preparation for a democratic society? Rather than creating an informed citizenry capable of engaging in the democratic process, compulsory education creates apathy, harms our ability to engage in real education, and actively harms democracy.

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I live in Puerto Rico. A country of saying, but not doing, of seeing but not believing, of wanting something, but not enough to take it in our hands, of waiting, but without knowing what were waiting for

My name is Diego Negrón and the truth is this applies to many places around the world. It takes people to make a change, not a government; that is why I’m trying to show the world that even a 15 year old like me, can make a small, but significant change.

There has to be a motivation for change. Inspiration comes in a variety of ways. It may make itself present through a poet’s words, a child’s laugh, or even by looking at a beautiful landscape. But sometimes inspiration may come through a loss, when a natural disaster occurs, or when a child is bereft from his parents. Some may argue against it, but in my case, I was inspired in an unfortunate way.

Thousands of children in my country and around the world don’t have the opportunities to obtain a better future. I’ve been inspired and I know my purpose. Some may laugh because I’m only 15, but I think that is what makes it special. To solve this dilemma, I have come to the same conclusion that many Renaissance humanists have obtained hundreds of years ago, education.

Education is the foremost viable mean to solve many of society’s present day problems. It can solve poverty, hunger, criminality, and can create a sense of companionship within all of us. My main goal is to send the message to everyone around the world that it doesn’t matter how old or young you are, where you come from, or what you look like, because in the End, we are all measured by our actions.

- Diego Negrón Reichard

Vivo en Puerto Rico. Un país de decir, pero no hacer, de ver, pero no creer, de querer algo, pero no lo suficiente como para tomarlo en nuestras manos, de esperar, pero sin saber lo que estamos esperando.

Mi nombre es Diego Negrón y la verdad es que esto se aplica a muchos lugares alrededor del mundo. Se necesita gente para hacer un cambio, no un gobierno, es por eso que estoy tratando de mostrar al mundo que incluso un niño de 15 años como yo, puede hacer un cambio pequeño pero significativo.

Tiene que haber una motivación para el cambio. La inspiración viene en una variedad de maneras. Puede hacerse presente a través de palabras de un poeta, la risa de un niño, e incluso mirando a un bello paisaje. Pero a veces la inspiración puede venir a través de una pérdida, cuando se produce una catástrofe natural, o cuando un niño está privado de sus padres. Algunos pueden argumentar en contra de ella, pero en mi caso, me inspiré en una forma lamentable. Miles de niños en mi país y en todo el mundo no tienen la oportunidad de obtener un futuro mejor. Me han inspirado y sé cual es mi propósito. Algunos pueden reír, porque sólo tengo 15, pero creo que eso es lo que lo hace especial. Para resolver este dilema, he llegado a la misma conclusión que muchos humanistas del Renacimiento han obtenido cientos de años atrás, la educación. La educación es el medio más viable para resolver muchos de los problemas actuales de la sociedad. Se puede resolver la pobreza, el hambre, la criminalidad, y puede crear un sentido de compañerismo dentro de todos nosotros.

Mi objetivo principal es enviar el mensaje a todos en todo el mundo que no importa la diferencia en edades, de dónde vienes, o qué aspecto tienes, porque en el Fin, todos somos juzgados por nuestras acciones.

- Diego Negrón Reichard