They say education is the future, so the best way to control our future is to ensure an excellent educational experience. A recent graduate from SUNY University at Buffalo, I'm currently pursuing a career in education, and in particular history education. I believe that many of the stables of modern schooling, such as standardized testing, strict rules, and the like, are taking away from the experiences of our students and doing a disservice to their education. I believe that fostering skills such as critical thinking, civil involvement, and empathetic understandings are key ideas students can learn best from, and best apply to their lives in whatever career their paths lead them to.