What's Education Without Basic Needs? by Kaylyn

What's Education Without Basic Needs? by Kaylyn - September 2025 Scholarship Essay

Over the next 10 years, I hope education becomes a system that meets students' basic need with the same urgency as it delivers academic instruction. I've seen firsthand how hunger, financial stress, and mental health challenged impact students-not just in performance, but in overall dignity.

It's not enough to offer free and reduced lunch programs if they come with stigma. In my school, I watched classmates-including myself-hesitate to eat, not because we weren't hungry or the food look questionable, but because we were afraid of being judged and or in financial burden. I believe schools should move toward universal free meals with no barriers or label, so every student can eat without carrying a weight.

But hunger isn't just about food. Insecurity takes many forms: emotional, financial, and social. I want to further see schools invest in mental health support and peer-led community programs that acknowledge the whole student, not just their grades, or how much they do within the school/classroom. Every school should have accessible counselors, mentorship opportunities, and safe spaces where students can be heard without judgment.

Finally, I hope students themselves are more empowered to shape the systems they’re part of. When I worked with my school’s Social Justice Club and local legislators to advocate for better food access, I realized how powerful student voices can be. Education should not only teach civic engagement-it should practice it.

In the next decade, I want education to be more human. Because when students feel seen, supported, and fed-in every sense of the word, they can thrive.