Dear Editor,
Now that our Lord has allowed me to become a very old man, I’d like to offer a bit of heartfelt advice to some of the younger folks who are many generations younger than I am.
During a goodly number of years when I was still an active, functioning part of the business world, I had the privilege of getting acquainted with a legion of young, eager and ambitious men and women who had endured the long, hard grind of gaining a degree or degrees in an assortment of skill fields. The vast majority of them were very dedicated and earnest in their drive to become successful in their chosen field. Some of them went on to be quite well respected and sought after, some went so far as to achieve fame and wealth.
Now, comes the sad commentary that will cause many educators to hate me. In those past years, during which I mentored many young fireballs, a degree was a key to a bright future. Sadly, my observation is that many of today’s “institutions of higher learning” have completely and utterly failed in their mission to educate and enlighten young minds.
I see young people coming into the work world, believing that they are now on the road to success, only to find they have been fed indoctrination rather than information. They have not been schooled in the very basic practices of critical thinking, logical progression, cause & effect, and predictable outcome. They have been force fed meaningless drivel disguised as education.
These youngsters come eagerly to employers waving a Masters Degree that is as devoid of worth or value. The depth of their disappointment cannot be overstated and the damage to their egos is catastrophic.
Having made many people furious by the foregoing, I will state loud and clear, there is gold plated, diamond clad alternative to all that ugliness.
We are blessed to have a strong, vigorous and thriving Community College system right here in our own Mohave County. Yes, we are a small population in a huge County, but there are driven, dedicated educators being supported by a strong Board of Governors and a strong and supportive Board of County Supervisors.
These community minded people have seen the future and have lived the past and they are determined to send a flood of strong, clear-headed young folks out into the world, with not a useless sheepskin, but a real skill, a trade, a way to proudly contribute concrete proof of a trade or skill learned fairly and performed well.
To sum up: To all you youngsters who will one day be old, take advantage of the tremendous opportunity in our Community College. You can learn a saleable trade and be knocking down some really good money while some folks with a “Degree” are still sending out resumes, living with Mom and Dad and hoping for a reply from anyone needing their particular twist of ethereal knowledge.
Good Luck and May God be with you,
Jack Hommel
