Ashley Takacs | That has made all the difference

Claiborne Pell, the quirky former Rhode Island senator, died January 1st after a long battle with Parkinson's. While Penn students were not alive during most of his 36 years in office, many should recognize Pell's name from their financial-aid statement. And for good reason - he helped to pass legislation creating the Basic Educational Opportunity Grants, commonly referred to as Pell Grants, which provide direct aid to college students.

By the time Pell retired, his grants had aided more than 54 million low- and middle-income Americans. Since the bill's ratification, a college education has become a rite of passage for many American students, a necessity for a bright and happy future.

As a middle-class student and recipient of multiple federal grants, I am eternally grateful to legislation that encourages students from all socioeconomic classes to pursue degrees. I do, however, question the unfounded negative connotation attached to blue-collar jobs in American society. The stigma of alternatives to college, combined with the social pressure of earning a four-year degree, forces those who would otherwise be successful elsewhere to be unsuccessful at college.

This fact became increasingly evident as I returned to my hometown, Buffalo, N.Y., over winter break. Many of the kids in my neighborhood, including former classmates, who had struggled through high school are continuing to struggle through college. A number of them have dropped out of their four-year school entirely. Those who are hanging in there have lost all hope of graduating on time, and they are amassing debts that they will struggle to repay for years to come.

This phenomenon is not strictly relegated to Buffalo. Nationally, among high school students who graduated in the bottom 40 percent of their class, of those who went directly to a four-year institution, two thirds had not earned diplomas 8.5 years later.

Even if the student acquires the degree, that degree in General Studies does not ensure job placement - especially in today's rocky economy. Every time you step on to a bus or walk into a restaurant, you are likely to see workers who have spent years of their lives and possibly their family's savings on a four-year school.

That student, who fought to maintain a C-average, might be better off attending a trade school or entering the work force after high school. Instead of the piece of paper on the wall to prove knowledge, he will have experience manifested in a body of work and a network of co-workers that can attest to his skills. His learning may lack the pedagogy inherent in a degree, but for him it is more practical and likely more rewarding.

Unfortunately, technical schools and apprenticeships at trade unions lack the glamour of ivory towers and beer-soaked frat parties. This reality deters many students from taking the road less traveled. And often, that rare person who chooses an alternative path post high school is the subject of ridicule from peers and is berated by parents.

Even I am guilty of pressuring friends into attending college. I was drawn to the promise of success that I thought only a college education could provide. While my goals require a degree from college, I now understand that there are many paths and that college is not for everyone.

Many proponents of alternative paths cite Bill Gates, who dropped out of Harvard. But the Bill Gateses of the world are merely aberrations. I am talking about the countless blue-collar workers who live comfortably and within their means. In Philadelphia, professors, who have advanced degrees, earn an average of $53,000 per year - the same salary as a carpentry foreman. Truck drivers in Philly earn an average of $71,000 annually - more than many accountants, (sadly for my editor) journalists and (sadly for me) architects.

The whole college experience works fine for the children whose parents have tons of money. It also works for top students who are passionate about academics, or whose goals require a degree, like accounting. But most 18-year-olds are not from wealthy families; they aren't top students, generally don't enjoy academics, and don't have specific careers in mind. They want to learn how to get a satisfying job that also pays well. That could mean education beyond high school or possibly real-world experience. But it doesn't have to mean spending four years on campus and possibly a small fortune.

Ashley Takacs is a College junior from Buffalo, N.Y. She is the Graphics Editor of The Daily Pennsylvanian. Ash Wednesday appears on Wednesdays. Her email address is takacs@dailypennsylvanian.com.

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