As we walk across the quad in fall with the crunch of leaves underfoot, we don’t see it. Not when we sit in class, or read a school-wide email, and certainly not when managing what can be a gruesome amount of homework.

We are often oblivious to the glaring fact that we attend a great school and are getting an excellent education. We are part of a community of undeniable privilege. Though we are not all equal in materialistic goods, we are all  catered to by the brilliant opportunities of St. Teresa’s Academy.

I admit, it is difficult to be appreciative of an establishment that bombards you with constant stress and deadlines, but truthfully, we all need to have more respect for this incredible opportunity that we take for granted.

The St. Teresa’s campus, mission, curriculum and teachers are all exceptional in their dedicated service to empowering young women. The time, energy and wisdom that our teachers devote to us is truly incredible. This environment aims to help us exceed all expectations and reach our fullest potential. So if our school, teachers and parents care about our future, why is it that we don’t care about our own success?

This means that we, as educated young women, should be able to apply ourselves in our schoolwork, thank our teachers for their incredible service and strive to pick up the trash or wads of hair that litter the halls.

We should ebulliently forge ahead in our quest for knowledge, value the wisdom and patience of our teachers and leave our school even better than we found it, as with anything in life.

I implore others to appreciate their education because 65 million girls around the world are not in school. According to the UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 17 million girls will likely never receive an education during their lifetime.

Education is critical, as well as empowering, for all people, but especially those in developing countries. It has been shown that in these developing countries, girls who went to school at some point in their life were less likely to marry or give birth while still children themselves. Being educated reduces malnutrition and hunger, narrows the wage gap, makes finding work easier for women and reduces the violence against them.

This is why we should be thankful. We are lucky enough to live with so many more opportunities than a vast population of the globe. Though I know we constantly hear about how good we have it, the truth is we really do.

So if you’re going to be at a top notch school, paying tuition and expected to excel, it behooves you to engage in class, do your homework and apply yourself. The opportunities we have at STA are phenomenal and will set you up for further greatness if you only become involved.

Because trust me, no one is too cool for school.