“A human being does not reach his full height until he is educated” this anecdote written by Horace Mann, explains the significance that education has in society today. To pursue a career and be successful, people need to be educated. Global competition for jobs is very common in today's century, individuals are not only competing with local people, but also with people from all over the world. The prerequisites for employment continue to change over time and the demands for jobs also continue to increase. It is the responsibility of schools to motivate and retain their students on the *journey of acquiring an education in order to prepare them for future responsibilities. Universities, community colleges and high schools are the primary source of motivation for students to continue pursuing their career goals and retain students in school. Furthermore, the importance of education is immense, it shapes who you are as an individual and can gradually open the door to great opportunities in the future. Education is a human right in America and should be taken advantage of when it is available. Unfortunately, other individuals in different countries do not have this opportunity, due to their financial situation, lifestyle, health, etc. Therefore, it is very important to maintain the retention rate, which is the number of students who attend college to acquire their education. While there are numerous reasons that may prevent increases in retention rates, cause increases in dropout rates, and prevent students from attending school, it is the school's responsibility to encourage continued acquisition of an education. The reason why Skyline College's retention rate remains constant is caused by the achievement of various mid-card goals. The importance of education lies in the hands of the individual and the school community he is a part of, since education is the key to our future, students and administration should allow more time to increase retention rates at the our local Skyline Community College. “Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself” – John Dewey. Works Cited Biederman, Donald. “Re: English Causal Argument 100.” Message to the author. March 8, 2012.Email.Dewey, John. “Quotes on Education.” Smart quotes. NpndWeb. March 15, 2012.Eljarrari, Tarek. Personal interview. March 12, 2012.Mann, Orazio. “Quotes on Education.” Smart quotes. NP and Web. March 15, 2012. “Skyline College Balanced Scorecard: Trend Analysis and Benchmarking Outcome Measures.” Office of Planning, Research and Institutional Effectiveness. March 12, 2012. PDF file.