No longer geared toward the middle--or maybe I am the middle, in which case I'm sorry

I believe that one of the fundamental defects of American culture is instilled within us the moment we begin our first day of public school. Yes, this defect is shamelessly government-sanctioned and widely accepted, tacitly or otherwise, by the nation at large. This defect is the quest for mediocrity where it is always best to suppress the best for those at the bottom in hopes of reaching the nothingness that resolves at the exact average of every discipline. This is not to say that value and attention should be reserved exclusively for the best and brightest, but society cannot progress if its most talented members are restrained for the sake of the self-confidence of those that are less inclined in a particular area. All aspects of education and training in America should be geared upward. In other words, we need an education system that can enlighten those students who struggle the most without hindering those that struggle the least. This is an ambitious goal and one not likely to come to fruition if the priorities of our society continue down the desolate path of mediocrity.
I am so thankful to finally be in an institution that seeks to stretch the limits and push the boundaries upward for all students regardless of what that true average may be. Although this is nothing like the real world, I intend to enjoy this new challenge while it lasts. I am fully aware that I am not anywhere near the top of the intellectual ladder at the University of Pennsylvania, but this fact inspires me to try harder rather than discouraging me from trying at all, and I hope that the rest of my peers both here and in other institutions of higher learning feel likewise. Someone will always be better than each individual at something; this is an inescapable fact. But it is only when this fact is used as a motivation rather than a deterrant that it can produce any good for society as a whole. The United States would be nowhere near as advanced as we are today if our predecessors had taken the same shameful attitude toward the achievements of others as we have been raised to do today.
Wishing to be great, wishing to be the best accomplishes nothing without the hard work and dedication it takes to get there. And pulling those residing at the top to a level more attainable to the average person is not the equivalent of creating an equality of achievement. No satisfaction or pride can be attained through such a practice. Oppression is oppression whether it is geared toward political liberties or the quest for knowledge.