AMEN!!

My friend wrote this article and got selected for it to be published on the KTAR website. She is amazing!! You can also read it at the link that is my title and comment.


The Cost of "Education"
by Hayley Payne/Special to KTAR.com (May 12th, 2009 @ 9:09pm)

This is a guest column contributed to KTAR.com from a @ktar923 Twitter follower. Your voice can be heard too. Send your opinion piece on any topic to webmaster@ktar.com.

"I started at Arizona State University in the fall of 2005. I was anxious to receive my "higher" education, and eager to become a member of the college society. I became an Education major, and was looking forward to the wisdom I would undoubtedly gain from my professors.

I was ready to make a difference in the world, and dreamed of how all of my late-nighters and early-morning cram sessions would be worth it once my degree led me into a sure-fire career field. After all, there is always a need for good teachers!

Now $33,000 in debt and 120 credits later, I begin student teaching in the fall asking myself what my time and money has truly earned me. When graduates spend four hours in the scorching Arizona heat at Sun Devil Stadium, drenched in sweat and peeling their cap and gown off their bodies for relief, only to hear a brief speech and step out into a job market void of any hope or consolation, I sincerely wonder if they will feel like the past four years were worth it. I know I don't.

It is only fitting that President Obama make the commencement speech this year at Arizona State. If you spend any time on campus at all, you cannot avoid hearing from countless students about how wonderful the stimulus package is and how finally America has the right idea about universal healthcare. Young Democrats stroll deep in conversation about how they approve increased spending as long as it's in the name of going ‘green.' But how many of those students, bombarded by the MTV-appeal of Obama and his big government, have stopped to wonder what their education has cost them?

When Obama steps on that stage, I can guarantee there are certain remarks he will omit. He will not tell the graduates that their determination and industry is no longer valued in this country. He will not tell them that under his administration their debt will only continue to increase. And you can bet he will not tell them that no matter how dedicated they are in their career, their wealth will be spread to those whom the government deems fit for the reward.

He will fulfill his role as the celebrity, Captain America, the blind leading the blind. I can only pray that so many of my "rock the vote" peers realize they got exactly what they voted for, but more than they bargained for. I hope they see that if our government continues down its current path, there is no way they could ever repay what we have lost as students.

So why did I bother earning a degree? Why not just sit back, relax, and wait for my own personal handout? Because I still believe the true hope of our country lies in the hard work of people just like me. Our society is starving for some perseverance. The government is not the answer. I am the answer."



Go HP!!!