Though I graduated only a few weeks ago, I already find myself missing the engaging conversations and intellectual curiosity of my college campus. Reading the memoir Educated by Tara Westover with my book club over the past week challenged me to think critically about educational disparities across the country and the importance of access to education. The magnification of educational inequities exposed by the coronavirus demonstrates that learning looks vastly different for students across America, especially because of the urban-rural divide. In this article, I discuss three of my takeaways from reading this memoir and link Westover’s narrative to the educational divides we see today.
Fear Limits Opportunities for Learning
Now a college-educated woman in her thirties, Westover writes much of the memoir as a recollection of her upbringing. Prior to beginning her studies as a teenager at home, Westover experienced no formal education, instead learning how to can peaches and take care of farm animals in rural Idaho. Though early in her life her grandmother offered to take her to Arizona and enroll her in schools, Westover recalls letting the opportunity slip past her. Many fears paralyzed Westover throughout her childhood. Ridicule from her peers of her inability to read created a fear of trying new things. Her survivalist father instilled a fear of the federal government and public schools. A strict religious upbringing produced a fear of sin and learning. Her older brother going to college and leaving the family behind instilled a fear of abandonment and estrangement.
Fear limits educational potential for millions of students across America. Some students fear the rising costs of college in a harsh economy will keep them in debt for decades. Students who may have excelled early in school fear the intellectual challenges of high school and college because they could potentially lead to failure. Other students fear the unknowns of academic institutions, 1often because they are the first members of their families to enroll in college or earn a high school diploma. Westover’s memoir and her leap of faith to prepare for college demonstrates the need for greater student support and encouragement that can mitigate fears about education. This support should take the form of counseling services for younger students that address both emotional needs and academic development.
Economic Support Leads to Success
Without the support of her family, Westover was forced to take on all the economic burden of college herself. Balancing multiple jobs at once and maintaining high grades to keep her scholarship threatened her mental health at Brigham Young University. She worked for her father in physically and emotionally abusive conditions in order to make ends meet. Fortunately, Westover met with a local bishop, who helped her to secure additional funding for college. This chance not only gave her economic stability, but also invigorated her love for education. She changed her major to pursue her passion for history and accepted opportunities to go to graduate school abroad, eventually earning her Ph.D. in history.
Westover’s story reflects the positive outcomes that occur when first generation college students receive sufficient support. Scholarships for first generation students, as well as mentorship programs and dedicated academic resources, significantly improve the college experience for this population. Westover recalls her academic mentor advising her, “First find out what you are capable of, then decide who you are.” Many first generation college students feel tremendous pressure to succeed as pioneers in their family. They also report feeling unsure about how to make the most of college because of its unfamiliar environment. Though first generation students often need tailored support to help them take full advantage of opportunities at college, their status as first generation students make them some of the most driven, motivated, and passionate members of a campus community.
Education is a Bridge to Personal Growth
Though Tara Westover began life in a rural survivalist community in Idaho and first stepped into a classroom at age 17, she eventually developed a community of academic peers at institutions such as Harvard and Cambridge University. By following in the footsteps of her brother and challenging herself to grow intellectually and personally, she overcame tremendous barriers to educational success. Westover reports that the hardest part of her educational journey was the estrangement from her family that developed as she became more independent; however, she concludes the memoir with great pride about her accomplishments and her identity.
Westover demonstrates that education can serve as the bridge to personal and intellectual growth. Throughout the memoir, her perspective broadens as her academic journey leads her to learn about the world in new and transformative ways. Westover’s experiences highlight the absolute essentiality of access to education for all. The UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights argues that access to education is a fundamental human right. As we adapt to a globalized world in which education becomes more and more essential for career and personal success, we must learn from experiences like Tara Westover’s and actively work to strengthen access to fair and equal education for all.
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