In The Hour Late
A weekly blog intended to share and preserve the most valued life lessons from the minds of the most experienced among us. The "hour late" represents the later stages of life. I will be speaking with people in their 70's and older, to find out what they think is important and worth passing on to future generations.
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In this weeks entry, Pat talks about his beliefs regarding college.
I think the days of when people could apply their intelligence and skills to working hard and making a good living are waning if you don't have a higher-level education. I do not have a college degree. I graduated high school and attended college, but didn't finish. I'm sensitive to the thinking by many that if you don't have a college education you can never amount to anything."
I felt that it was important to add this short quote by Pat because of how often I have seen friends and family struggle with the decision of whether to go to college or not.
When Pat was entering the workforce, it was common for someone without a college education to be able to make a good living for his or her family. It is still possible to make a good living without a college education today as well, but it is much more difficult.
Another issue that Pat touched on is the thought that people without a college education can never amount to anything. I see hard working, intelligent, and caring people that I know get ridiculed constantly for choosing not to go to college. They lose out on jobs because they have no degree and no experience. The rejection is a reminder that there is a literal price to pay in this country if you want an occupation that can cover the cost of living. And no, minimum wage is not a livable wage.
There are numerous reasons why going to college isn't the best options for some people. Not everyone has an interest in education beyond high school, some people would rather be making money instead, others don't have the opportunity to go, and very few can afford college without going into debt. These differences in beliefs and/or opportunities should not be something that is looked down upon by the more fortunate, but respected and even encouraged.
Not everyone is meant to pursue a college education. I can honestly say that if I hadn't been fortunate enough to get a scholarship, that I would not have attended college. I had no desire to go into an absurd amount of debt and battle interest rates, just to get a job to pay the debt off.
We should support people who are willing to work hard and contribute to society in their own way, whether they have a college degree or not.
Name: Pat Cannon
Born: 1942. Northeast Detroit, Michigan
Roles: Kid, Student, Employee of Various Types, Manager, Administrator, Father, Grandfather, Husband,
Pat is the former Director of the Michigan Commission for the Blind, Former Director of the Michigan Commission on Disability Concerns, and Former President of the National Council of State Agencies for the Blind. President Bill Clinton appointed him to the U.S. Access Board in 1997 and he served as the Board's Chair in 1997 and 1998, he returned to the Access Board again when President Barack Obama appointed him to be a board member in 2014. He was named Disability Policy Advisor to Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm in 2003 and also her ADA coordinator in 2004. Pat also threw the first pitch at the Tigers' home opener on April 4, 2005. He was the first blind person to do so.
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