Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan: Taking on the world while we still can

Ah, youth.

It's the spring of life. It's the time to take risks and seize opportunities. It's when we're all starry-eyed dreamers dwelling in possibilities, more concerned with how things should be than how they are. In short, youth is idealism... right?

In terms of careers, I'm beginning to wonder.

Theoretically, Penn students should be incredibly optimistic, inspired people. We've got a great education! We've got highly developed morals and a strong sense of right and wrong! We're out to change the world!

But that's not exactly the case, and it's not just because the job market is in such dire straits lately. Instead of a culture of burning idealism, this campus leans towards an orientation of "success" -- defined by power, prestige and six-figure paychecks. A vague whisper seems to persuade us: take that expensive degree and make something hugely impressive of yourself.

And as a result, a lot of us think only of being a conventional success -- you know, clout, a corner office and two weeks paid vacation. So we're much more focused on climbing the success ladder by fitting into the way things are done in the adult world than rocking the boat with that risky idealism.

I'm not saying that we're all hard-boiled cynics who think only in terms of dollar signs and the bottom line. But I do sense a tendency among us toward easy compromise. We seem far too willing to bend our principles and amend our dreams if it will enhance our resum‚s or get us hired. Of course the world has its problems, but perhaps we've become too accepting of that fact. Instead of putting up a fight for the way we think our lives should be, some of us are simply resigning ourselves to playing by other people's rules.

So what exactly should the youth of America be doing to fulfill the idealistic hallmark of our age? Any number of things, from small gestures of principle to dramatic campaigns to reform society. Now is the time for figuring out what matters to us and making sure our everyday lives are in tune with whatever that may be.

A good friend of mine is an extreme example of what I'm talking about when I say we should be more idealistic. She's a double major who could easily land a lucrative job upon graduation, but she's instead applying for Teach for America. There, she'll be placed in a struggling inner-city school as a teacher for two years to make a direct difference in children's lives. She'll be ridiculously overqualified and woefully underpaid, and she'll face difficulties every step of the way. But she's doing it because she believes passionately in the importance of education.

I'm extremely proud of her. Teach for America isn't the only option, either -- look into the Peace Corps, Americorps, any number of nonprofit organizations. Why not silence the pressure to "succeed" and do it, if it moves you?

Idealism doesn't have to be so dramatic; we can show it in a thousand ways as we enter the working world. If you're a writer and your most lucrative job offer comes from a teen magazine -- and you think teen magazines are vacuous trash that suck the humanity from impressionable teen girls -- pass on it. If you're into politics but find yourself surrounded by corruption, move on to the next (honest) job. Or do like my father did when one of his first bosses screamed at him for a mistake: tell the boss just where he can put the job and walk off in search of greener pastures. See, in my father's ideal world, he wouldn't be treated with such disrespect, so he refused to tolerate it.

We won't always have the freedom to do this. Sometimes circumstances will force us to adapt -- to pay the rent or feed our kids. But regardless of the bad economy, this is the time when we're unlikely to have such pressing responsibilities, so we can afford to be more discriminating. No one's asking you to starve for your morals, but given the choice, why not embrace the idealistic route?

I realize this brand of idealism may sound extreme. Undoubtedly, our ideals will change as we mature, and we'll learn that life can't be exactly the way we want it to be. But we're still at the very beginning of growing up, and now is the time to try to better things. Sure, we'll have to compromise eventually -- but think of how much better we'll have it if we're coming to the table with high-minded dreams rather than folding immediately for the "way things are."

You're only young once, as they say. It's the perfect time to take on the world.

Elisabeth Kwak-Hefferan is a senior Communications major from Wheaton, Ill.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.