Studying Public Policy

Public Policy Course
Your Name
Subject and Section
Professor’s Name
October 23, 2022
My birth was a contravention.
I was born at the tail end of China's 1-child policy era. My mom carried me to term in hiding to avoid the abrasive and pompous family planning officials while other women were forced to live with the trauma of forced abortions. To me, my mother's actions in defiance of an increasingly problematic and discriminatory policy were heroic, and without them, I would not be here today. Just as grateful as I am to my mother for giving me the blessing of life, I am equally grateful for the perspective I developed while living under such harrowing circumstances. When such policies are passed, they are typically regarded at the macro level, ignoring the personal experiences of those affected. However, I am living proof that the lived experience of all public policy is meaningful and presents a real impact that must be taken into account. Such stories are what compel me to study the social sciences, as they offer a platform to understand social policies and their impact on the individual. I also sincerely hope to see fewer children living in the fog of such out-of-touch and frankly harmful policies.
I seek to serve those negatively impacted by such policies, calling out injustice and strengthening social justice initiatives. Although I cannot solve these problems yet, I can only solve some of the scarcity I see, but the road of humanity's pursuit of equity has not stopped.
For years, the U.S. government has tried to comply with Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that "everyone has a right to education and that 'Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms." These were then translated into both Federal and Local laws, which should have improved the quality of the education system in the country. However, statistics still show that "Around 1 in 10 of the poorest children in the U.S. has little or no access to technology for learning" (Vegas, 2022). This is about 10% of the whole student population, which suggests the importance of bolstering both the quantity and quality of access to online education in the United States. A thing that I am hoping to help change with my o...