LosAngelesLeadershipAcademy

CarlosCastaneda
APEnglishLiterature
20May2016

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SeniorThesis
Educationisnotpreparationforlifeeducationislifeitself.JohnDewey.Mostpeople
knowthateducationisacrucialpartoflife.Fromsimplycommunicatingwithotherstousing
advancedformulastoengineerajet,educationisthebasisofallpractices.Duetotheimportance
ofeducationandtherequisitequalityofsaideducation,whereonereceiveshisorhereducation
isalsosignificant.ThegeneralacceptanceofthisideaisexemplifiedbyschoolslikeHarvard
andPrincetonwhichcanaffordtohaveacceptanceratesofabout4%andyetremainatcapacity
becausesomanypeoplewishtoattendtheuniversitiesduetotheirelitereputations.Somuch
thoughtisputintowheretoattendcollegebecauseoftheimpactthatdecisionwillhaveonthe
liveswhilethosematriculatingarestudentsandevenmoresoafterthosestudentsgraduate.The
sameeffortshouldbemadewhenchoosingatwhichhighschoolastudentwillreceivean
education.Theschoolonechoosestoattendnotonlyaffectsastudentacademically,butalso
beyondthatinregardstootheraspectssuchasathletics,extracurricularactivities,and
interpersonalissuesthatcanariseoverthefourormoreyearsofattendance.
Onewayachoiceofschoolcanaffectastudentslifebeyondacademicsisthrough
sports.Ifastudentisbothtalentedanddedicatedenoughtowanttocreateafuturethrough
playingasport,itispossibletoreceivethousandsofdollarsfrompeoplewhowantthatathleteto
playataparticularcollegeoruniversity.AccordingtotheNCAA,oneofthelargestproviders
ofscholarshipstohighschoolathletes,NCAADivisionsIandIIschoolsprovidemorethan
$2.7billioninathleticsscholarshipsannuallytomorethan150,000studentathletes.DivisionIII
schoolsdonotofferathleticsscholarships.Acollegeeducationisthemostrewardingbenefitof
thestudentathleteexperience.Fullscholarshipscovertuitionandfees,room,boardand

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courserelatedbooks.Moststudentathleteswhoreceiveathleticsscholarshipsreceivean
amountcoveringaportionofthesecosts.Manystudentathletesalsobenefitfromacademic
scholarships,NCAAfinancialaidprogramssuchastheNCAADivisionIStudentAthlete
OpportunityFundandneedbasedaidsuchasFederalPellGrants.DivisionIschoolsmay
providestudentathleteswithmultiyearscholarships.Additionally,DivisionIschoolsmaypay
forstudentathletestofinishtheirbachelor'sormaster'sdegreesaftertheyfinishplayingNCAA
sports.Ifaschoolplanstoreduceornotrenewastudentathletesaid,theschoolmustnotifythe
studentathleteinwritingbyJuly1andprovideanopportunitytoappeal.Inmostcases,coaches
decidewhoreceivesascholarship,thescholarshipamountandwhetheritwillbe
renewed,(Scholarships).With2.7billiondollarstogiveawayannuallyitisobviousthat
attendingaschoolwhichcanhelpyoureachyourhighestathleticpotentialcanbequite
rewarding.
Aspecificexampleofhowlifechangingasportsscholarshipcanbewouldbethestoryof
nowprofessionalcornerback,RichardSherman.ShermangrewupinCompton,California:one
ofthemostcrimeriddencitiesinthestatehowever,throughhisimpressivefootballplay,he
receivedascholarshiptoattendtheprestigiousStanfordUniversitytoplayontheirremarkable
footballteam.Shermanwasgrantedatotalofabout$124,000toplayatoneofthemost
renowneduniversitiesintheUnitedStates.RichardShermanwentontohaveaverysuccessful
NFLcareer,beingoneoftheleague'stopcornerbacksaswellasaSuperBowlchampion,allof
whichmaynothavebeenpossiblewithouthiscollegescholarship(RichardSherman).
Notonlyareathleticsapathtofinancialsuccessthroughplayingattheprofessionallevel,
buttheycanalsoprovideahealthiermoreprosperouslifestyleforstudents.Accordingto

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ChildTrends.org,Schoolathleticteamsprovideenjoyable,supervisedactivitiesforyouth.
Studentathletesreporthealthiereatinghabits,higherlevelsofcardiovascularfitness,increased
parentalsupport,anddecreasedanxietyanddepression.Furthermore,anationalstudyfrom2000
showedapositiveassociationbetweenparticipatinginschoolsportsandlowerratesoftobacco,
drug,andalcoholuse.Youthwhoparticipateinsportswerealsomorelikelytodisapproveof
theirpeerssubstanceabuse.Inaddition,participatinginsportsisassociatedwithhigherlevelsof
selfesteem,motivation,andoverallpsychologicalwellbeing,andbetterbodyimageforgirls.A
studyconductedwithLosAngelesCountyschoolsfoundthatjuvenilearrestratesandteenbirth
rateswerelowerinareaswhereschoolsofferedmoresports(ChildTrends).Thismeansthat
besidestheobviousbenefitsofhelpingastudentstayinshape,playingsportshelpsstudentsin
variousotherwaysaswell.Theseincludepsychologicalbenefitssuchashelpingrelaxstudents
andbuildconfidencewhichalsoenduphelpingthemacademicallyandcontributingtotheir
overallwellbeing.Studentsusuallyplaysportstheyenjoyandthisgivesthemanincentiveof
sortsforattendingschoolandhelpsthemdevelopschoolpride.
Inadditiontothevariousopportunitiesavailablethroughathletics,astudentseducation
canalsoimpacthimorherbeyondacademicsthroughotherextracurricularactivities.
Extracurricularshelppreparestudentsforthemultipleresponsibilitiestheywillhaveasadults
andhelpthemdevelopcreativity.AccordingtoanarticlefromtheCollegeofDuPage,
Extracurricularactivitieshaveeffectsonstudentsbecausetheyhavepositiveaspectsthat
studentsneedtobecomeproductivestudentsandadults.Byparticipatinginextracurricular
activities,studentslearnlessonsinleadership,teamwork,organization,analyticalthinking,

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problemsolving,timemanagement,jugglingmanytasksatonce,whichallowthemtodiscover
theirtalents(PositiveEffectsofExtraCurricularActivitiesonStudents).
Whenastudentdecidesheorshewantstojoinanextracurricularactivity,heorshelooks
foronethatinterestshimorher.Whenstudentsareinhighschoolorcollege,thisdiscovered
talentorareaofinterestcouldbethethingthathelpsthemfindacareer.Byparticipatingin
extracurricularactivities,theywillfindsomethingtheyenjoyandseehowtheycanusethatasa
career.Ifsomeoneislookingataresumeforapotentialemployeeandheorsheseesthatperson
hasexperienceorinterestasexemplifiedbyparticipationinanextracurricularactivity,thenheor
shewillbemorelikelytohirethatperson.Someextracurricularactivitiesalsolookgoodon
collegeapplications.Collegeslooktoseewhetherstudentshaveparticipatedincertainthings
liketeamsportsorothercompetitiveventuresbeforeacceptingnewstudents.Participationin
someoftheseactivitiescouldalsohelpastudentgetascholarshipforcollege.Whenstudents
participateinextracurricularactivities,especiallyatayoungage,itteachesthemaboutlongterm
commitments.Iftheywanttoparticipateinacertainactivity,theysignupforalongtime.Not
justforaweekorafewdays.Thisisgoodforstudentstolearnbecauseschoolisalongterm
commitment,jobs,andotherthingsthattheywillhavetodealwithasadults.
Notonlydoextracurricularshelpstudentsgrowasindividuals,buttheycanalsoleadtoa
successfulcareerthroughactivitieslikefilm,art,andmusic.Studentsmayjustthinkofthings
likeartandfilmasahobbyorpastime,butbynurturingtheirskillsthroughaschoolprogram
whichprovidesthemwiththeneededresourcesthesehobbiescanbecomemuchmore.A
specificexampleofhowextracurricularactivitiescanimpactanindividual'slifewasWalt
Disney.WaltDisneywasoneofthemostwellknowncartoonistsandproducersintheworld.

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HiscreationsareeasilyrecognizedandDisneyhasbecomeoneofthemostsuccessfulcompanies
intheUnitedStates.NoneofthiswouldhavebeenpossiblewithoutWalthimselfwhogot
startedworkingonhiscartoonsinhighschool.AccordingtoBio.com,Disneyattended
McKinleyHighSchoolinChicago,wherehetookdrawingandphotographyclassesandwasa
contributingcartoonistfortheschoolpaper(WaltDisney).Disneyandmanyotherswhohave
achievedgreatsuccessthroughtheircreationsareexcellentexamplesofhowahobbycan
becomesomethingmuchgreaterwhentheproperopportunitiesarepresent.
Thewaysinwhichastudentseducationcanimpactastudentbeyondacademicsarenot
allpositivehowever.Schoolsarenotalwaysthesafestplaceandstudentscanfrequentlybe
exposedtoviolenceandwitnessorbecomethevictimsofbullying.Suchbullyingandviolence
canpersisttothepointwhereastudentisafraidtoattendschoolorevenfeelslikeheorshehas
nooptionsleft.Thissortofdespaircanleadtosuicideintheworstcasescenario.
Anotherwaystudentscanreacttotheviolencetowhichtheyareexposedatschoolisby
becomingviolentorfeelingliketheymayhavetodoextremethingstofeelsafefromthe
violencesuchasjoiningagangortakingaweapontoschoolforprotection.Thisofcoursecan
leadtostudentsbeingincarceratedandthatwilldefinitelyhavealastingimpactontheirlives.
AccordingtoChildTrends.org,Whenstudentshavefearsaboutpersonalsafetyatschool,oron
thewaytoandfromschool,theymaymissdaysofclass.Perpetratorsandvictimsofschool
violencearemorelikelytoexperiencehealthproblems,socialandemotionaldifficulties,and/or
pooreracademicperformance.Moderatetohighlevelsofschoolviolencediminishthe
likelihoodthatstudentswillgraduatefromhighschoolorattendafouryearcollege.
Additionally,fearatschoolcancontributetoanunhealthyschoolclimate,andcanleadto

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negativestudentbehaviors.Forexample,onestudyfoundthatstudentswhowitnessedviolence
atschoolweremorelikelytoperpetrateviolentbehaviors.Studentswhoarefearfulmayalso
feeltheyneedtoprotectthemselvesthroughactionsthatcanactuallyincreasethelikelihoodof
violence,suchascarryingweaponsatschool,(UnsafeatSchool.Thisarticlelistsallthe
negativewaysanunsafeenvironmentatschoolcanimpactstudents.Notonlydoesanunsafe
environmentcontributetoastudentretainingwhattheylearnedatschoolandusingtheirfull
academicpotential,butitalsoaffectsthehealthofsaidstudents.Victimsoftargetedviolenceor
bullyingmayresorttohurtingthemselvesasaresultoftheemotionalpaintheyfeelandthissort
ofemotionalpaincouldleadtopsychologicalproblems.Schoolsshouldbeaplacewhere
studentscanplacealltheirefforttowardslearningnotaplacewherestudentsaretooscared
abouttheirsafetytofocus.ThesitealsostatesthatHispanicstudentsaremorelikelytofearsome
kindofviolenceatschoolthanwhiteorotherethnicitiesasdemonstratedinthefollowinggraph.

Inconclusion,theeducationofastudentinfluencestheirlivesfarbeyondjustacademics.
Studentsfuturescanbedeterminedbytheamountofopportunitiesprovidedbytheiracademic
institution.Opportunitiesinfieldslikeathleticsandextracurricularactivitiesandotherpractices
thatcanberefinedduringhighschool.Whereonechoosestobeeducatedcanaffectthemina
negativewayaswellinregardstopersonalproblemsthatcanbedevelopedduetobeinginan

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unsafeenvironmentandbeingexposedtoorthevictimofviolence.Thequalityofones
educationisofutmostimportanceandaproperamountofthoughtshouldbeputintochoosing
therightschool.Educationismorethanjustaddingandlearningtoread,educationisastudent's
drivingforceintotheirfuture.

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WorksCited
"ChildTrends."
ChildTrendsHomepageComments
.Web.14May2016.
"RichardShermanOfficialWebsite|NFLSeattleSeahawksCornerback."
Richard
Sherman

OfficialWebsite|NFLSeattleSeahawksCornerback
.Web.17May2016.

"Scholarships."
NCAA.org
.2014.Web.15May2016.
"UniversityCommunications."
StanfordUniversity:CommonDataSet20062007
.Web.
17May2016.
"WaltDisney."
Bio.com
.A&ENetworksTelevision.Web.19May2016.
Barrier,J.Michael.
HollywoodCartoons:AmericanAnimationinItsGoldenAge
.NewYork:
OxfordUP,1999.Print.

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