If you’ve ever considered taking college classes, going back to college, going to grad school or a trade program, or even getting your GED, now 👏 is 👏the 👏time 👏 babes!
The future of higher education in the United States is unclear and make no mistake that is by design.
A cute, little Google search is all you need to know that the majority of people with college degrees vote for equity, kindness, and diversity in representation and culture. They vote Democrat.
There are people who want you to believe that fact is based on indoctrination at the college level, but if you’re a college graduate you know that isn’t true. But then, if you’ve never been to college, how would you know that? If you’ve never been to college you might just believe them. In fact, they’re banking on it.
See the cycle?
Before I get too far into this, allow me to say what I already know:
1. Not everyone needs college.
2. Not every “good” job requires a degree.
3. Not every person will excel in higher education.
You know that I know that, but it’s a debate tactic people like to use when you bring up the importance of higher education. It’s particularly relied upon by those who do not have a college education. I won’t get into the why, but YOU could if you take Psych 101 in college! Yay, college!
I’m not talking to the people who keep our country moving along in various labor, service, or trade jobs. If you’re happy, you’re happy. If you think college isn’t for you, you think college isn’t for you. I get it.
But do YOU know, that getting a “good” job isn’t the only reason people go to college?
I want you to imagine how different our country would be if every, single American was exposed to people, places, ideals, religions, etc. from all over the world.
That’s what college did for me. A small-town Kansas girl who was too poor to travel, shit we were too poor to leave the damn state–well technically we could always go to Missouri cause it was just across the bridge, but that doesn’t count. Even though you bet your ass I told my classmates I went to “Spring Break in Missouri” cause my Mom and I drove across the bridge to get cheaper gas one day. 🤣
Look, I didn’t get to meet people who didn’t look and think like me. If it weren’t for the fact that we had Ft. Leavenworth and we were a Kansas City suburb, I wouldn’t have even been exposed to the little culture and diversity I was exposed to as a kid. Which for me, was just enough to pique my interest.
But still, my freshman year at KU was hella overwhelming. Just getting my four-year took me several tries because I truly didn’t think I was capable of doing it. When you’ve been held down so long by economics, education, geopolitical forces at work, or just seeing people like you who have never even tried to better their education, it’s tough to climb out of it. It’s difficult to believe that you can accomplish that level of thinking, being, doing.
But once I realized how vital college was to the understanding of my world, my country, my culture, myself, I was hooked.
Can you see how everyone being exposed to the culture and diversity that makes our country truly unique, could build our collective empathy? How it could foster our shared humanity?
What if instead of giving people paths to prison or dead-end jobs, we gave them all free enrollment at a state university? We broadened what we teach there?
What if we merged tech schools with trade schools? We helped each and every American find their “thing?” And in doing so we asked every, single American to take a basic psychology class to learn how our brains and hearts work together. A basic law class to understand our rights and responsibilities? A biology class to understand how our bodies work? A class solely dedicated to our American History and what exactly is in the Constitution? (By the way, if any of those classes sound appealing, please know that they already exist in college. So get enrolled!)
(big sigh) I’m telling you, it would change everything.
But yeah, we’d be a democratic nation because the fact remains, when you learn the real atrocities of our world, you can’t unlearn them. It doesn’t matter how loud some people get in your face.
So if you are one of those people who have always had college lingering in your brain, for whatever reason, just to prove you can do it, then DO IT!
Don’t be afraid, you’ve got this!
If you need help filling out your FAFSA call me! But do it now! Because I have a junior in high school who is being told daily by ALL the places that FAFSA is about to be no more.
The world as we know it, is about to be no more. And if you don’t have someone who can foot that bill for you. Whew.
It’s like my Momma always said, ” It’s shit-or-get-off-the pot time, Missy”
M.
Melissa Goodnight 