I believe in education. If my life demonstrates nothing else (although I certainly hope there is more to it than just this) it is that I believe in the importance of education. I have, literally, been a lifelong student. I don't mean that just in the 'I read a lot and enjoy learning things' kind of way. I have spent nearly every year of my life seated in various classrooms, positioned behind various desks, and sequestered in dark corners of various libraries. I love to learn, and I love to do so within the walls of the academy. During the nearly three decades of my life an incredible amount of money has been dedicated to tuition, books, and academic pursuits. I have been extraordinarily lucky in my life that even more money than was spent was saved through scholarships.I currently attend a school that charges over $1,000.00 per credit hour. Although I'm not paying this amount, or perhaps because I'm not paying this amount, this figure blows my mind. It calls to mind the classic scene in the film, Good Will Hunting, in which Will scolds an intellectual blowhard by telling him that in 50 years he will realize he wasted $150,000.00 on an education that he could have gotten for $1.50 in late charges at the public library. I can't help but wonder if I, too, will someday come to this realization.
I've recently been thinking about education for a number of reasons. In the news of late have been two major stories that have pushed me into these ponderances. The first story (Metro State Tuition) is that the Metropolitan State College of Denver (my father's alma mater) approved a special tuition rate for undocumented immigrants. The second story that has caught my attention has been the battle to keep student loan rates from raising (Student Loan Rates). In many ways I'm not particularly interested in all of the political posturing that has taken place because of these two issues. Like many people, I'm fed up with a reactive politics which offers little of value because it is too busy toeing a party line. When I first heard the story about Metro State I was extraordinarily excited. I have been fortunate to know a number of young people who find themselves in an extremely difficult position. Having been brought to the USA as young children (illegally), they have grown up here and know no other home. They have lived fairly average lives, and have worked extremely hard to excel in school and make something of their lives. Of course, after having put in the sweat to do well for themselves, some of them have graduated and found little hope for a prosperous life moving forward. Because of their legal status in this country (due to no choices of their own!) they are virtually unemployable, and therefore find themselves unable to pay for college tuition. Moreover, because of their residency status (and that of their parents) they are also virtually unable to get college scholarships. For several years I have watched this happening, and it has killed me that young people with so much passion and so much potential find themselves in a seemingly hopeless position. I earnestly believe that, given their natural abilities, if given the chance, many of these young people could do great things. I certainly don't think that college is the only way forward for a person to do great things, but I do believe that in many cases it can make a profound difference in the life of a person. I don't know whether this special tuition rate will ultimately take effect, but I pray that this, or something like it, can make a difference in the lives of many. This is not a political statement, at least not in terms of American "politics." I earnestly believe that this is a moral issue: "When an alien resides with you in your land, you shall not oppress the alien. The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt" (Leviticus 19:33-34). Each and every one of us has been a stranger in one way or another. Each and every one of us has been in need of compassion, of love, of basic human kindness. Just as it has been given to me, I hope to be given the opportunity to demonstrate it to an other. While I understand that there are political/fiscal issues at stake in this debate, I find the call to compassion to be stronger than any potential desire for the well-being of "us" at the expense of "them."
Yet, as mentioned above, regardless of the value that I place on higher education (and education generally), I am bothered by the entitlement marketing that has taken over the education system. I have been extraordinarily fortunate to have had the opportunity to pursue education at the highest levels. I cannot take that for granted. I have been even more fortunate to have done so debt-free. I understand that not everybody has the opportunities that I have been given. Because of this, I am hesitant to speak my thoughts here. Nevertheless, as I hear the harrowing stories in the news of how student loans are destroying people's lives (their words of course), I can't help but question the wisdom which would justify a person taking on that kind of debt for the sake of education. Higher education is not a right. Higher education is not a necessity. Many people (past and present) have made for themselves incredible lives without a college degree. While, on average, a college graduate will make more money than one without a degree, we cannot allow ourselves to buy into an existence in which the value of life is a financial equation. College is not for everyone. While that may sound as though it is a judgment from one on the inside I hope that this is not the case. This is not a matter of intelligence, much less a matter of class or of caste. I hope against hope for the educational possibilities of some undocumented folks. Even so, I don't pretend that a college education will magically transform their lives. We still live in a world of injustice in which people of all races, genders, and castes find themselves living in unequal power relationships with others. College won't change that. This is precisely why I question the validity of the proclamation by which people find it appropriate to take on unmanageable amounts of debt in the name of education. Life is about so much more than a degree (or two, or three, or... well... you get it...) Student loans are a valuable tool if used well. However, it seems that many people are beginning to recognize that the value of education (at least of their education) is less than the cost of that education. I wish that every person would be a lifelong student, but I think that perhaps Will Hunting had it right all along. To be a student does not, necessarily, mean to sit in a classroom. There are teachers all around, the trick is to recognize them.
I believe in education. I commend those who believe the struggle for higher education (if it's not a struggle it really isn't being done right...) is important, and is worth an investment of their time, energy, and money. However, I equally commend those who can see other ways to succeed in life. I commend those who make a difference in the world regardless of their educational background. I commend those who read books, those who engage in meaningful discussion, and who think critically of the world around them. These are the true students, and it is like them that I yearn to be.
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