If I Could Change Anything in Education, It Would Be the System Itself

If I could change anything about education, it would be the very structure and purpose of the system. Not just what we teach, but why and how we teach it. Education should be a process of awakening—not indoctrination. But the current model, built during the Industrial Revolution, trains obedience and memorization, not innovation or sovereignty. It prepares people to follow orders, not to know themselves, trust their intuition, or co-create solutions for a more sustainable world. If I could change anything, I would completely transform education into a living, holistic system—one rooted in sustainability, self-awareness, and community stewardship.

As the founder of #YES2U, I’ve made it my mission to guide people toward personal empowerment and collective evolution. Our movement combines ancient wisdom, self-realization, and regenerative living to reclaim what traditional systems have stolen from us: our agency, our connection to the Earth, and our birthright to live meaningful, interdependent lives. At #YES2U, we are not just reimagining the future—we are rebuilding it from the roots up by designing intentional eco-village communities that include their own educational infrastructure. These aren’t fantasy ideals. They’re solutions. And they’re necessary.

I grew up in a low-income household where survival often took precedence over self-expression. Education was framed as the only ticket out—but it never truly felt like mine. The public school system didn’t recognize the richness of my inner world, the sensitivity of my nature, or the creativity waiting to burst out of me. Instead, it measured worth through standardized tests, outdated curriculum, and a culture that ignored emotional intelligence altogether. I wasn’t taught how to regulate my nervous system, connect with the land, or question why the world felt so out of sync. I had to learn all of that the hard way—through struggle, curiosity, and relentless self-study.

That’s why I believe education must become radically decentralized and reconnected to life itself. We need schools that are more like sanctuaries—living laboratories where students aren’t treated as vessels to be filled, but as souls to be nurtured. We need outdoor classrooms. Permaculture gardens. Spaces for breathwork, yoga, conflict resolution, relationship education, and indigenous ecological wisdom. We need elders, artists, mystics, and scientists to collaborate across generations and disciplines to raise whole humans—not just productive workers.

Within the eco-village model we’re building, education isn’t confined to a single building or life stage. It’s interwoven into the daily rhythm of village life—whether it's harvesting food, building with natural materials, or holding community councils to navigate interpersonal conflict. Children learn by doing, by watching, by feeling. They grow up knowing how to grow their own food, build shelter, understand their emotional needs, and navigate the changing world with both intellect and spirit.

Instead of separating students by arbitrary age and standardizing their progress, we encourage cross-pollination—multi-age learning pods, interest-based mentorships, and project-based collaborations. Instead of ignoring spiritual and emotional development, we embrace it—teaching kids how to trust their gut, respect others’ boundaries, and develop their own relationship with meaning. Our model integrates modern tools like digital media, artificial intelligence, and entrepreneurship with ancient wisdom traditions, local food systems, and rites of passage. We call this integrated system Holistic Sovereignty Education.

The current system teaches children to seek external validation. But in #YES2U villages, we teach them to say yes to themselves—yes to their unique voice, their inner knowing, and their natural gifts. We show them that education isn’t about preparing for someday. It’s about learning to live well today—ethically, creatively, regeneratively.

And make no mistake: this model is not just for the privileged few. It is especially for those who have been underserved by traditional systems—those like me, who grew up with few resources, but deep potential. In fact, the entire YES2U philosophy was born from the pain of being unseen, unsupported, and underestimated. I know what it’s like to feel like the system wasn’t made for you—because it wasn’t. But we’re making a new one. One where education feels like belonging. One where no child has to trade their authenticity for acceptance. One where learning is alive again.

If I could change anything in education, I would change the foundation—because the roots are rotten. I would stop preparing students to enter a broken world, and start inviting them to co-create a better one. One village, one lesson, one sacred yes at a time. At #YES2U, we believe education should ignite sovereignty—not suppress it. We’re not just imagining a better world; we’re building it. One village, one student, one radical yes at a time.

🔗 Ready to reclaim the future of learning?

Start with yourself at yes2u.org