Vote for me!!!

Hey so I've decided I'm going to college in San Francisco and I need all the help I can get. I entered this scholarship by writing a 300 word essay about the most important lesson I've learned in life. Please help me win a $5,000 college scholarship. Vote for my essay!

Here's my essay by the way:

Throughout my life, I have been taught over and over that education is important. I have always accepted it without question, but as I have grown I have personally experienced it. My parents got married at a young age, and consequently my parents did not continue on with a college education. As the years progressed and my family required more money to support ourselves, our financial situation suffered. My parents were unable to find a good paying job without a degree. However, a few years back, my mother made the decision to go back to school. I got to see first hand how beneficial it is to get an education: after graduating with her Master's in Accounting, she was able to find a good job and she seemed to have a new purpose in life and felt more accomplished. My father's job won't allow him to be promoted any further until he receives his degree, and so he has decided to go back to school too. This has shown me that education can really pay off and open doors that you didn't even realize were closed. Because of my parent's choices, it has motivated me to receive a higher education so that I can make the most out of my life. Going to college and getting a degree is the key to a successful and happy life. Education doesn't only allow you to make more money, but it makes you feel like you have a bigger part in this world and that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.