January 15, 2026

A Lesson on Education

I’ve never really wanted to be a teacher. I’ve dreamed of becoming an actress, a government official, even a mermaid, but never a teacher. Looking back on this now, it seems kind of strange that the thought never really crossed my mind. I wouldn’t say I come from a long line of teachers, but there are a lot more teachers in my family than I realized. Among others, my grandfather is an economics professor, my great-uncle taught mechanical engineering, and my mother taught ESL and home schooled my two siblings and me. But especially in the U.S., teachers seem to be incredibly undervalued and underappreciated. They are paid low wages and are not often given as much social respect and mobility as doctors, engineers, or lawyers. Maybe that’s why I never truly considered teaching as a career, not that I didn’t appreciate or respect my teachers, but because I picked up on those social cues that pushed me to take on a more “valued” or lucrative career.

Learning about education in India and hearing about the incredible impact of teachers and the trust and respect they are awarded has changed my outlook. Much of this learning has come from my interactions with my organization, Parikrma, a non-profit that provides high-quality educational programs to poor and under served children, and its founder, Shukla Bose. In her talk with our cohort, she discussed her view of the importance of education and shared stories of students whose lives were transformed by the power of schooling. She valued education so highly that she quit her prestigious corporate career to start Parikrma, funding it by drawing from her personal savings. I was struck not only by her conviction, strength, and passion, but also by her deep and unwavering belief that teaching is one of the most important and respectable positions that one can have. I was also moved by her description of Parikrma teachers, many of whom are former students, who are so dedicated to their students and the mission of Parikrma that they work for lower pay than some other teachers. Education opens doors, and teachers are responsible for providing children with the tools and guidance they need to grow into well-rounded and capable adults who can go through those doors and discover countless more. Education builds individual and collective capacity and helps each child discover their strengths, weaknesses, and interests. What could be more honorable than assisting the development of generations of children and helping them reach their full potential?

Listening to Shukla’s stories helped me fully realize the respectability and honor of teachers all over the world. It helped me appreciate the work of my own teachers, of my mother and other family members, and recognize how undervalued teachers can become in American society. Value isn’t always denoted by a higher price tag or salary, but by long-term impacts that often go unnoticed. Teaching is certainly a more noble profession than I once thought.

By,
Lila