I believe that I am going about growing up the wrong way in fact I believe that
all young Americans are going about growing up the wrong way Roald Dahl
dedicated the wonderful life of Henry Sugar with affection and sympathy to all
young people who are going through that long and difficult metamorphosis where
they are no longer children and have not yet become adults this speech is
dedicated to the same in the hopes that this metamorphosis need not be so long
and so difficult I crave a rite of passage for myself and all young
Americans a shared experience that hoists us into young adulthood the
benefits of this rite of passage I predict will be wide reaching
individuals will better navigate young adulthood Americans will experience
greater economic mobility and our country will be better United currently
in America there are two main paths that teenagers follow after high school go to
college or enter full-time employment this decision is largely based on
economic ability college is a luxury that many are not able to afford
however in America a college degree is necessary for economic mobility in 2013
an American with a college degree made 98% more an hour than an American
without a college degree an American with a college degree will make nine
hundred thousand more dollars over their lifetime than an American without a
degree in other words the American economic system punishes people who are
unable to or who choose not to achieve a college diploma as for the students who
choose to go to college after high school most I would argue are not ready
the stress of college paired with the stress of leaving home is having massive
repercussions on the mental health of the student body sixty-two percent of
undergraduates report feeling overwhelming anxiety
one and three freshmen struggle with a psychological disorder colleges
and you can see this at Amherst they are scrambling to me the ever-growing demand
for mental health support but still at the end of the day one in three freshmen
don't return for their sophomore year only 20% of college students complete
their degree in four years only 57 complete their degree in six the
decision that one in three freshmen make to return home can be devastating for
parents and children alike it's extremely expensive for families who
could have spent the money paying for their retirement or another child's
education or for the student who's left deeply in debt without the degree that
had promised help them pay it back and it can be deeply deeply demoralizing for
young people who feel like they've failed at the first thing they attempted
as an adult does not need to be this way this system that we have in place is not
tried-and-true it is new and it is not working so let's
change it college is not the rite of passage that young Americans need
instead after high school all Americans should be required to enroll in two
years of public service this work could be with AmeriCorps or the Peace Corps or
Teach for America or the military or the National Park Service these programs are
already in place and they offer their young members money towards college
student loan difference and the opportunity to live two years
independently as an adult but still supported young Americans will start
adulthood on a more equal footing every twenty-year-old will have two years of
job experience under their belts every 20-year old will have marketable skills
the opportunity to meet with potential employers and be introduced to a wide
network of people that they otherwise would not have met a college degree will
not be necessary for good employment and the economic advancement that comes with
it the people who then go on to achieve a college degree
will do so within knowledge but it is integral
to achieving their goals college will not be a non-decision
or a decision made out of economic coercion the stress of college will be
cushioned by two years of semi independent living and students who
otherwise would not have been able to afford college will have two years more
of savings to put towards their tuition the largest reaching benefits I
hypothesize will not be felt on the individual but on the national level
America is a sprawling country full of people who disagree with each other and
more and more people who are separated ideologically are also separated
geographically if all Americans start adulthood by working with strangers and
service they will meet people who truly reflect America's diversity Americans
desperately need something shared something that we all have in common
Americans need to talk to each other while we are still young and idealistic
and want to save the world to be clear I am NOT trying to encourage young people
to drop out of school or trying to diss higher education in any way shape or
form and well I do believe that gap years can be helpful for the individual they
will not solve the wider reaching issues of American disunity or lack of economic
mobility this program needs to take place on the national level so as the
2020 election cycle draws ever nearer keep your eyes peeled for mentions of
mandatory national service the debate usually resurfaces once every four years
Obama supported it in 2008 however this debate only includes the voices of
middle-aged politicians and that weakens it so if you notice it you as teachers
but especially as students have to speak up let your country know that there is a
better way to grow up one that reflects our generations come
and to equity thoughtfulness idealism and stewardship let your country know
that you are ready to save the world