You are blessed.

By being able to open up this newspaper in a most likely heated building and read these articles, you are blessed.

By having an opportunity to voice your opinion protected by the Billof Rights in the United States of America, you are blessed.

Currently, the United Nations records that there are 775 million people in the world who are illiterate and 152 million children that are following in their footsteps by working to feed their familiesinstead of attending school.

Now, I am guilty of complainingabout tests, difficult teachers and assignments as much as anyone. We have all had that momentwhere we just wanted to skip a homework assignment because of a busy schedule or stay in bed insteadof getting ready for school. Butwe cannot forget that our readily available education and access to resources is a privilege given tosome,notacommoditygiventoall.

Do we realize the significance of questions we ask each other? It is often, not ARE you attendingschool but instead WHAT didyou learn about today? Not ARE you eating dinner butWHAT are you eating tonight?

Human Rights Watch studies reveal how millions of women across the world are forced into marriage for financial reasons by the age of 16 and many young boys are forced into being child soldiers through abduction, death threats or monetary enticements.These women and children did not have a choice in their lives and careers. Many of us do.

And after all this injustice, why are we complaining? Living in America is like winning the lottery of life, a place to speak our minds and available opportunities to shapeour lives into whatever we want.

Education is opportunity.However, opportunities mean nothing, unless they are takenadvantage of. How are we using thisgift of education to serve the world around us? Are we making use of all the opportunities given to us?

Higher education, specificallyin colleges and universities, has seen a huge surge in enrollmentthrough the 20th century. Mostof our ancestors did not have the opportunity to attend a college or trade school, or even choose their career due to thetime period they were living in.

You are blessed. Some are not as fortunate. Howwill you use your blessings?