Although every individual enrolled in college undergoes an exclusive “college experience,” as students of higher education, we all share at least one common bond: we have all traveled through the grueling college application process.
    The beauty of applying to college is the freedom of choice. The freedom to shop around based on interest and make a personal decision as to where you go and what you will study. Another dimension of this situation is the freedom to choose to bypass college entirely. However, according to Huffington Post, Corbett High School of Oregon could eliminate the option to forgo a college education by making acceptance into college a requirement for graduation. Randy Trani, superintendent for the Corbett school district claims the implementation of this requirement is to “make sure that each student has sufficient choices in the future” (Huffington Post). While his intentions are good, I believe Trani’s decision may have more negative consequences than initially meet the eye.
    The school ruling only requires that each student be accepted into college, not that each student actually attend. However, this requirement creates an unspoken pressure to attend college without considertion of the benefit of a college education on a case-by-case basis. By generalizing the decision to attend college, many critical points in the decision making process are overlooked, fiscal responsibility being the most prominent. Debt from student loans has crippled the millennial generation, but belittling careers that can be attained with only a high school education creates a stigma that may push some citizens to live beyond their means.
     I am personally a strong advocate for education. I feel that educated citizens are the sole hope for prosperity on a national level, but as a society we must understand that for a population to succeed, there needs to be a balance between the varyious levels of employment. Blue collar careers are just as important as their white collar counterparts, if not more so, in regards to a community that runs smoothly. The U.S. Department of Labor put this idea into perspective by releasing the statistic that 30 percent of the adult population has a college degree, when only 20 percent of jobs actually require them. This statistic makes the separation between the supply and demand of a college education more easily recognizable. When presented in this way, the reasoning behind our country’s current unemployment situation seems like common sense. We have too many people that try to fight for the same jobs.
   I realize that, given our location, the majority of those that read this article have already achieved a college education or are steadfast in their journey to attain one, and I in no way discourage the acquisition of higher education. On the contrary, I  suggest that as a society we treat those with college degrees with the utmost respect, but I urge that we also make an effort to show equal respect for employees that may not have an equal education, but work alongside those who are college-educated to achieve a similar goal.
    The negative connotation that surrounds careers that do not require higher education causes division amongst the classes as well as economic downturn. I propose that as a generation, we break down this arrogant point of view and treat all hardworking citizens with the respect they deserve, regardless of the prestige of their careers and level of education.