Seems you can't pick up a paper or turn on the TV without being shaken by the scruff about the current state of affairs: We are going to hell and quickly down a path of selfishness and laziness. The Onion, which gives better news sometimes than true sources, put it best a couple of months ago: Chinese third-graders, it warned, are falling behind American high-schoolers in math and science, and American 14- to 18-year-olds have actually pulled ahead of the the dominant Asian 8-year-olds. The fake article explained that China cannot hope to compete globally if its preteens are only as well-educated as the average American high-schooler.
So enrolling in the local community college to take some Texas prerequisites in order to start on my next path as a teacher gave me pause. Would I be drowning in the stereotypical sea of lackadaisical whiners and slackers so popular as representative of college students today? Would I be the only person awake in class? The only one bothering to show up, not giving weak excuses as to why not even coming in?
Well, I am heartened to report that in my neck of the woods, at least, enterprise and ambition and endeavor is alive and kicking. Not only that, but everywhere I looked, all over campus, I saw kids with tattoos and saggy pants and piercings....and book bags and pens and paper and tablets. Even more stunning, they smiled, said hello, opened doors for each other, slowed down in the parking lot to let others pass, asked pointed questions in class, offered to send notes to peers that had missed a class...
Shocking to say, they are JUST LIKE ME AND YOU. Young and old, single traditional students or moms returning to continue college careers interrupted by kids now about to start college themselves, they were just like the rest of us. They all wanted to be there, and to learn, and to move forward to take a place in society or to improve upon current circumstances.
And the best part of it all? The immigrants, oh thank goodness for the immigrants. Want to feel good about America? Just talk to a recent immigrant from Pakistan or Nigeria or Greece about the opportunities they are pursuing, of the dreams that can be won by focus and education. I met with a study group prior to my last final, and I was the only native-born American in it. A busy Friday night in Houston, with all sorts of entertainment and diversions only a few minutes away, and these serious students met to go over test material, carefully prepared summaries and study guides already researched and annotated. I tell you, that is precisely the type of person I admire, someone for whom English may not be a primary language but who is dedicated and thorough.
That night I was the one who felt lazy. With all the natural built-in advantages of language and immersion in our culture, I did not have to work half as hard as someone who has to carry around a dictionary to translate unfamiliar English terms.
So the next time you hear that the kids today are sorry and lazy, or that immigrants threaten to destroy our way of life, look around instead and make your own decision. You may find, as I did, that everywhere you look are people working hard to get ahead, to advance, and to contribute to society just as past generations have always done. You may find that there are plenty of ambitious students out there just looking for the right opportunity to make an impact on the nation.
This has been quite an education this semester, in more ways than just one. See you in class!
