“We strive to be like all our brother men, for all men must be alike..We are one in all and all in one. There are no men but only the great WE, One indivisible and forever” (Rand, 13). Imagine a life like this. Imagine a life where we live, work, and die for our brothers. Could you live for others? Would you die for the benefit of a stranger? These are the questions I ask myself repeatedly in a book I've read named Anthem by Ayn Rand. In this book, people live in a new society called “the Brotherhood”. There is no such thing as an individual, for each individual lives to serve the Brotherhood. Thus, they refer themselves not as I, but we. In the Brotherhood, it is forbidden to have knowledge, free will, or to be different from society. The protagonist, Equality 7-2521, is viewed as a curse for being different from his brothers in height and intelligence. One day, he comes upon a cave that dates back to the Great Rebirth. The Great Rebirth is the old society before the Brotherhood that holds morals the Brotherhood denies. In this cave, he discovers inventions, findings, and ultimately, knowledge. Even though knowledge is illegal, he learns vigorously “We do not know, but we shall learn. We cannot stop now, even though it frightens us that we are alone in our knowledge” (52). Equality 7-2521 hopes to share this newly acquired knowledge with society. However, when presenting his findings to the higher ups, they reject him and his ideals. With rejection, he leaves society and finds enlightenment in the lessons of the Great Rebirth in the woods. I could never live in Equality 7-2521´s reality. I come from a nation with a society that is built on the foundation of perseverance, individualism, and collectivism. Taking this away is like taking away the air I breathe. I have become so spoiled with the freedom America has given me that seeing it stripped away is painful. Losing these rights seems immoral and degressive towards cultivating and furthering society. Seeing these rights taken away from Equality 7-2521 influences me to appreciate how privileged I am living in a society that idolizes the American Dream, and cherishes and protects our principles. Reading how Equality 7-2521 fought against his society in order to learn inspires me. Seeing his bravery has given me a different perspective of knowledge and epitomizes the importance of education. I now feel that learning is precious and that knowledge is powerful and progressive. Thus, I’ve deducted that infusing knowledge into our generation influences our future. It makes me wonder if this book is a warning of our future. If we lose our emphasis on instilling education into each student, will we become like “the Brotherhood”? Will our children become like “Equality 7-2521”? The answer, I believe, lies in how much knowledge we instill into our bright minds today. Anthem has inspired me in an unexpected way that coincides with and conforms to my future endeavors beginning with my education to higher learning. I am attending Thomas Jefferson University. I will major in Radiation Therapy and minor in Spanish. Upon completion, I will continue my education by achieving my bachelor's degree in medical dosimetry. Although my career requires a great deal of work, I know I have the ability and determination to prevail. The reason for choosing this path is because I want to help people who are in need. As a radiation therapist, I will encounter people who are different, but similar. Although they come from different religions, backgrounds, races, or ethnicities, they all have one thing in common- cancer. My father, who has experience with cancer, describes cancer as a ¨battle between you and a black hole of depression. Each treatment is like a dose of depression¨. As a radiation therapist, I want to make their days better and show that there are healthcare professionals that will do everything in their power to help them in defeating cancer. With your aid, I will do just that.