Day 12: Education

My accounting degree from Brigham Young University Hawaii is EASILY one of the top 5 most things I am grateful for. Not only am I grateful for my college degree, I am grateful for the opportunity I had to attend BYU Hawaii. It was the best experience for me. I made tons of friends from many different places, my spirituality grew, my testimony strengthened, and I learned how to fend for myself while living on an island for 2 years, 3,000+ miles away from home. School was never my strong suit, but I pushed through it and the reward of finishing college is great and so worth it. I am so proud of myself for accomplishing something that was such a struggle for me. No matter how many times I wanted to, I NEVER gave up.

I went to college and got my degree for me, but I'm the kind of person that thinks about the future. I got my degree for many reasons: 1) I wanted to be educated, 2) I wanted to have something to fall back on if something were to happen to my future husband, whether it be death or an illness that would prohibit him from working, 3) I wanted to set an example to my future children, 4) I wanted to accomplish something I never thought I could.

Funny thing is, math was my worst subject in high school. Go figure. I worked at a tax office for several years BEFORE I chose my major and taxes made sense to me so I wanted to get my bachelor's degree in taxation, but found out you can only get a master's degree in taxation, so I chose accounting as my major. Let me tell you, it was not the easiest major, but I'm glad I chose it and I'm thankful for the learning curves that were thrown my way.
President Henry B. Eyring spoke at my graduation and it was awesome. The spirit was so strong and I enjoyed every minute of it. He talked a lot about the importance of learning and that our learning doesn't just stop because we obtained a degree. I wanted to share a few things he said at my graduation ceremony:

Learning Forever

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Commencement Address Given at
Brigham Young University–Hawaii
December 13, 2008
President Henry B. Eyring
First Counselor in First Presidency
"We celebrate not the end of an education but a great step forward in an eternal learning journey."

"Some of you graduates may have decided that you don’t need more education or that you can’t afford it or that you have more important things to pursue than more school. But whatever you choose, you will go on learning as long as you live and are conscious. So, the question is not whether or not you are about to commence another stage of learning. Your choice is simply how to get the most benefit from the inevitable. You will go on learning, or unlearning. Your choice is how to make the best of it."

"We all need a sense of celebration and release from time to time. All work and no play will make Jack, or Jill, a dull boy or a dull girl. And yet the temptation to take a rest from learning will attack you again and again and it will be nearly overwhelming for some of you. I give you two suggestions for staying motivated in your pursuit of eternal learning: One is fear. And the other is love. You may already be feeling about the right amount of fear. Job losses are massive and in every day’s headlines. The economic times we are going through may be extended and will be repeated. There will be times of prosperity, in the world around you and in your own lives. But the cycles are sure. Jobs will disappear, industries will falter, and governments will topple. You will face times when if you do not learn new skills and understand new ideas you will fail to be able to sustain yourselves and those who depend upon you. Some people adapt and survive well in the worst of times. They are the people who have kept learning. They are the ones who read, and study, and listen, and think consistently and with determination sure that they need to keep preparing for greater challenges ahead. They are the ones who, with the help of God, have found true principles they can apply in a new job and a new world. They are the ones who can see how to create something of compelling value even in the times of scarcity and in times of over-riding fear. If you are prepared by never having stopped learning in the light of Christ you need not fear."

"The other encouragement I can give you to work hard at your life-long learning is to remind you that you have loved learning. At least you have loved some of it. There was at least one book, at least one moment listening to a teacher, at least one paper you wrote, at least one problem set you finished, at least one project completed, when you felt a glow of satisfaction and enjoyment. That glow was love. You have felt the love of learning."

"I leave you my love and my blessing. I love you for what you have done for this great university while you were here. And I love you for letting me try to be your teacher for a few minutes. Because of you I moved along in my learning. Thank you."

"And I leave you my blessing that you will be optimistic and determined as you try to learn in the light of the Master Teacher, to learn from His disciples, to learn what He would have you learn, and to be endlessly diligent."

"I bear you my witness that you are children of God and that He loves you. He sent His beloved Son to be born in the manger in Bethlehem. The Savior taught truth in His ministry and through living prophets and still teaches us through the Spirit. You have been blessed to study in this place and you will carry with you forever what you have learned here and used to teach and serve others."

I was reading church talks online and found a talk by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf titled "Two Principles for Any Economy" which was printed in the Liahona November 2009 issue. The two principles he discussed were working and learning. He stated: "Joseph Smith loved learning even though he had few opportunities for formal education. In his journals, he spoke happily of days spent in study and often expressed his love of learning. Joseph taught the Saints that knowledge was a necessary part of our mortal journey, for “a man is saved no faster than he [gains] knowledge,” (Joseph Smith History) and that “whatever principle of intelligence we attain … in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection” (D&C 130: 18-19). During challenging times, it is even more important to learn. The Prophet Joseph taught, “Knowledge does away with darkness, [anxiety], and doubt; for these cannot exist where knowledge is” (Joseph Smith History).

I'm grateful for the opportunity to learn new things everyday and I am so thankful for my education.