Education is a valuable asset, and throughout history, people have prioritized knowledge to grow and develop as people. Recently, the Supreme Court has overturned Affirmative Action, which previously set quotes to force college admissions to accept a certain percentage of minorities every year. Affirmative Action aimed to reduce the wage gap between races and sexes by making college more diverse so graduates would receive higher-paying jobs. Although some perceive college as overpriced and unnecessary for success, a college education provides a stable and economically supportive career path. It allows students to develop their knowledge and intellectual values, highlighting the worth of a college education to each individual.
Learning is a lifelong process, and college education further allows students to develop their knowledge, including advising financial decisions, forming professional relationships, and growing alums. Colleges have many missions and roles in students' lives that will benefit them, allow students to thrive, and put students at an advantage compared to those who can't afford it. For this reason, college further develops the skills needed to succeed, and by withdrawing Affirmative Action, many minorities and first-generation students have less of an opportunity to get into college. Colleges focus on helping students find their place in the world by teaching focus and flexibility, as well as courageous risk, which is helpful for individual success—putting college graduates at an advantage not only to get specialized career choices but to break the generational cycle of not having secondary education. Since knowledge and lifelong implementable values are invaluable, learning and developing will never be irrelevant and will hold a role in a student's career.
Colleges serve a significant role in supporting educational learning and take in students from all around the world trying to share the gift of knowledge. However, the opposition overturned Affirmative Action because they claimed it made the college admission process unfair. It was brought to court two memorable times by UNC and Harvard, where the vote was to overturn Affirmative Action by 6-3 and 6-2 proportionality. The Supreme Court declared that Affirmative Action broke the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution because it would supposedly accept a minority student with the same SAT score as an upper-class student. However, it is vital for marginalized communities that are opposed by many factors compared to other college applicants.
Further, a college education will provide a more stable and economically beneficial career path for students who invest in it. It is statistically proven that adults, on average, make $20,000 more a year due to having gotten a degree. The increased stability and wage of a college education is a good investment that will be significantly beneficial throughout a person's career history and for the rest of their life. Further, with Affirmative Action gone, it puts more weight on alumni connections from parents who went to elite schools, keeping this wealth condensed in the "upper class" or those already reaping the benefits of a college education. Even the statistics prove that the pay is more for a lifetime, simply for the knowledge people absorb while developing into their more intellectual selves through college specialization. Affirmative Action hinders the opportunity for this from those who can't afford specialized counseling or SAT tutoring and sets a separate quota for them. The increasing demand also illustrates how essential Affirmative Action is to forge the future of our country now more than ever. The employer's interest in college education further signifies its importance, that knowledge of people will always be necessary in life, and that opportunity should be available to all.
Works Cited
Leonhardt, David. “Even for Cashiers, College Pays Off.” New York Times. New York Times, 25 June 2011. Web. 20 Dec. 2011.
Pew Social & Demographic Trends. “Executive Summary.” Is College Worth It? Pew Research Center, 15 May 2011. Web. 20 Dec. 2011.
Roth, Michael. “What’s a Liberal Arts Education Good For?” Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 1 Dec. 2008. Web. 20 Dec. 2011.
Wieder, Ben. “Thiel Fellowship Pays 24 Talented Students $100,000 Not to Attend College.” The Chronicle of Higher Education. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 25 May 2011. Web. 20 Dec. 2011
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