College isn't for everyone...Right?!

Lately I’ve seen a lot of blog posts, articles, and Facebook posts in which the authors come to the conclusion that college is not for everyone, whether it’s because there are fulfilling jobs that don’t require a degree, there are kids who can’t master college material, or there are too many people who just can’t afford to make such an expensive investment. These are all compelling arguments.

Before I delve into this discussion, I want to first acknowledge that college is often associated with elitism. While I believe that this should not be the case, I know that this belief has been perpetuated by many people who believe and act as if they are better than others, as if education and/or financial status are what determine a person’s true value. It’s ironic to me that these types of attitudes exist among so-called educated people. The truly educated know that education actually humbles you for service. Unfortunately, those who believe and act otherwise engage in practices that reinforce college as an option for an elite few. Subsequently, they often discourage the less privileged from pursing a college education.

Another important acknowledgement is that all careers and the people in them have value. Just as we have become a great nation because of the contributions of scientists, researchers, entrepreneurs, and teachers, we have also become great because of field workers, construction workers, plumbers, stay-at-home moms, maids, childcare workers, plant workers, and the list goes on and on. We would do well to not only acknowledge this but also make sure our actions toward one another reflect this genuine appreciation for an honest day’s work. As I tell students, careers are vehicles for making a living by using our talents and skills to solve other people’s problems. No matter your line of work, you are solving people’s problems, and that is a noble calling.

That said, I find it interesting that I most hear the discussion about whether college is for everyone when discussing the educational plight of new-gen students - students of color, low-income students, and would-be first generation college students. Unfortunately, many of these students fall behind their peers as early as elementary school. Regardless of the reasons why, many internalize that they do not have what it takes to be scholars. In some cases, they have this belief before they even start school. This belief then becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Another sad reality is that many of the people who work with these students share the belief that these students face obstacles that are too numerous to overcome.

Faced with all the negative statistics and challenges, it’s as if we have collectively given up on overcoming these obstacles, so we have accepted that new-gen students are best suited for jobs that do not require a degree. I started Legacy Educators because I do not accept these limitations. Although I don’t believe that college is the path for everyone, I reject the idea that it’s less of a path for new-gen students. We sorely need more doctors, scientists, engineers, counselors, and researchers who have first-hand knowledge about the communities from which new-gen students originate so they can help develop solutions to some of the problems these communities face and so the needs and interests of these communities are reflected in the global marketplace.

I have made it part of my life’s work to study the people who have been successful in spite of the circumstances that are often cited for why new-gen students cannot succeed in grade school and in college. In each case, there is something that triggers the knowledge that they are enough, regardless of their background situations - that they can do more than what they thought was possible. Sometimes the trigger is a caring adult who sees something in them, sometimes it’s a desperate situation, or maybe even a spiritual awakening. Regardless, they are somehow able to find a way around teachers and other adults who don’t believe in them and make meaningful connections with the ones who do. Armed with an unshakable desire, they ask questions, connect with people who know things, force themselves to leave their comfort zones, and work around the real and perceived roadblocks. I founded Legacy Educators to capture these skills, strategies, and mindsets for students who are capable but who do not realize yet that they are legacy students, just like I was.

I am the legacy of Mary McLeod Bethune and Marva Collins, educators who believed that new-gen students were worthy of education and all the benefits that come along with it. (See the stats about earnings and educational achievement.) I am the legacy of all the founders of minority-serving institutions (such as HBCUs and HSIs) who refused to deny new-gen students opportunities to benefit from a college education. I am the legacy of all the brave students who integrated colleges and universities across the country knowing they were worthy of the seats they filled. I am the legacy of a father, also a new-gen student, who dropped out of high school, went back years later, and went on to earn a bachelor’s degree, two master’s, and a doctorate. I am the legacy of a mother and educator who started preparing me for college before I even started school.

We have to make new-gen students aware of their educational inheritance so they realize that a college education is just as much an option for them as any other student. In this way, they can choose pathways based on all the options, instead of solely choosing based on a limited set of options that is imposed upon them. Perhaps the better question is not whether college is for everyone; rather, it is whether college is among the options for everyone to choose, regardless of background. Having that choice begins many years before high-school graduation, and it takes a village of caring individuals from all walks of life to ensure new-gen students can make informed decisions about whether to attend college based on all their options.