America is the land of unlimited opportunity.
Everyone growing up in America, including those in our local communities, should have the chance to achieve success, fulfillment, and live the American dream. We are the wealthiest nation in the world, with more resources at our disposal than any other country. If that is true, then why are so many of our young people struggling to find their way on a career path? Why are so many of them lagging in standardized test scores compared to Asia, Western Europe, and Canada? And why are so many of our own young people leaving our local community to live, work and raise their families elsewhere?
For decades, American parents have believed that the only way for their child to be successful is to go directly from high school into a 4-year college degree program. We Americans believe the only path to success is: Go to college, get a degree, find that perfect job, and live happily ever after. In fairness, that is a great formula for many high school graduates. But, it is not working for everyone. 70 percent of Americans enter a university Bachelor‘s program right after high school, compared to only 13 percent in Germany, for example. Of the 70 percent of U.S. high school graduates entering a university, only 57 percent are finished after six years, and 33 percent drop out altogether. Many people leaving colleges, with or without graduating, carry with them a substantial amount of college debt.
Currently, there is $1.2 trillion in outstanding student debt in America, the highest debt category behind only mortgage debt. The average student debt in America is $29,800. Many that do graduate still struggle to find a job that pays enough to justify the time and money spent to get their degree. I recently spoke to a young lady who earned a master’s degree in physical therapy. She has $200,000 in student debt, even though she worked all throughout college in order to minimize her debt.
There are several alternatives to the straight four-year college degree. These alternatives may well be a better path for many high school graduates. Over the course of the next few weeks, I’ll dive into what these alternatives are and how someone could pursue one.
If you are interested in learning more or having the opportunity to ask questions, STOBER is hosting an open house on Oct. 10 from 6 to 8 p.m. Registration begins at 5:30 p.m., at our facility on Downing Drive. This event is called “Pathway to Success.”
Everyone has a different pathway to success – we want to help people find theirs.
Please RSVP through our Facebook event at https://www.facebook.com/events/456562681864176/
Peter Feil is General Manager of STOBER Drives.
