Pathways to College
by Joseph Santos-LyonsWhen you hear the word "college," what do you feel? During my senior year of high school, I was advised to consider the military. My grades were mediocre, and my uncertainty was interpreted as undisciplined. I made it to a private college the next year, but dropped out and ended up at several community colleges on my way to graduating from the University of Oregon.
In Unitarian Universalism, college is the most common experience among us. Nearly 100% of our community has taken at least one college course. Meeting someone at coffee hour who has a college education, been to graduate school, is a Ph.D., or has a professional degree is ordinary in a Unitarian Universalist (UU) Church. There is a wonderful commitment to learning, derived from our religious search for truth. Yet there are complex dynamics that can strain our communities, particularly our youth, if we are not sensitive to them. I'll name two that our young UU's need to consider.
First is the backlash against the dominance of intellectualism in our church, and the reality check around the increasing inaccessibility of college. Today there is higher tuition, more family debt, and a cookie-cutter academia that struggles to support multiple learning styles. The 2002 U.S. Census reports that of Americans age twenty-five and over, 52.5% have some college, 27.2% have a bachelors degree, and 8.9% have a masters degree or higher. The excellence within the UU community around education is sometimes scorned in reacting to the dominance of the college-educated, and sometimes expressed as an attempt to promote equality. This can be marginalizing of those who seek higher education learning. Denigrating college can come across as minimizing learning, and peer pressure can deflate confidence and undermine the inspiration of youth who seek to follow their deepest passions.
Second is the overt expectation of college that comes from the tradition of academic excellence in UUism. This is often translated into intense stress for youth both from their elders as well as from peers. Sometimes it seems like the expectation of college is regarded as the only good choice, and not choosing college is deemed failure. This is dangerous thinking for any community, and understanding this environment makes it easier to understand why a backlash occurs among UU youth and even young adults. As with the backlash, severe expectations of college create unhealthy dynamics. Youth suffer anxiety, low self-esteem, poor mental health, and their sense of belonging to the UU community may deteriorate when encountering intense "college-only" attitudes.
My belief is that college is a wonderful opportunity that I would warmly and responsibly encourage all persons to consider. Yet I am careful to recognize the equal value of other forms of learning and life experience through work, military service, community service (i.e. Americorp), intentional "time off", family making, and self-care. I believe that we need to encourage our people to see themselves as lifelong students, but to also recognize the value and possibilities that education provides. Ultimately our communities are strengthened when individuals are supported in their learning, whether through college or other options. We should neither undervalue the power of college nor overstate its role in happiness and success.
I write this to encourage youth to seriously consider college, and to think comprehensively about what college means with their peers and adult mentors. In many communities where I work, with low-income people, people of color, immigrants, and refugees, college is a tremendous opportunity that few in their community have experienced. Getting to college is harder for many without people in their community to speak from their experience, in addition to the financial aspect. UU communities have cultivated our dedication to learning over many centuries, and we need to recognize this gift we've inherited.
A group of Asian American educators I'm a part of works tirelessly to promote college in the Asian/Pacific Islander community. Towards this goal, they have produced a thoughtful and informative fourteen page "The Pathway to College" resource that helps demystify college for people who may to be first in their family to attend, and have little support towards the college option. I encourage you to read it. Here are some highlights:
- With a college degree, individuals make over $1,000,000 more during their lifetimes than those with a high school degree. High School graduates average $34,931 a year, Associate degree $42,861, and a Bachelor Degree $61,368.
- Myth: College tuition costs more than $20,000 a year. Reality: Of the 3,600 colleges in America, 200 charged $20,000 or more for tuition and fees. Nearly 80% of the full-time undergrads at 4-year universities face tuition of less than $8,000.
- Where should you go to college? A breakdown of the types of colleges and things to consider about their learning environment and opportunities.
- College Choice Questions. Questions to ask yourself about academics, student activities, housing, life after college.
- Admissions Process Tips.
Pathways to College Resource (PDF, 14 pages)
Joseph Santos-Lyons, a lifelong UU, graduated from high school in 1991, took five years, two community colleges, a private college and a state university to get a bachelors degree in 1996, worked for eight years, and entered seminary at Harvard in 2002, finishing his masters degree with teaching credential in 2006.
For more information contact youth @ uua.org.
Last updated on Saturday, April 19, 2008.
