This is Awesome!

Usually, high schools celebrate athletes signing letters of intent and tout seniors waving acceptance letters for colleges. But Henrico County Public Schools in Virginia decided to celebrate students going in a different direction, who weren't headed to college.

Public school administrators held a ceremony honoring students who were getting jobs or apprenticeships right after graduation. The students met with representatives from their future places of employment and signed letters outlining what they and the employers would expect from each other. ALL jobs are IMPORTANT! Not everyone can or should go to college! All jobs make the world go round, so kudos to this school for reminding us of that!

Opinion

Some of the most successful people I've met either didn't go to a college, much less an University, or dropped out before getting a degree.

In a deposition a few years back, a questioning attorney told me my opinion wasn't "qualified" since I had zero degrees and due to the myriad degrees "their" expert had, their expert was "qualified" and I obviously (with MUCH emphasis on the word obviously) wasn't qualified.

Knowing their expert, I stated I had a lot of respect for the person, but in this regard, I was more well-qualified.

After a boisterous laugh, this attorney began to belittle my lack of "education" and asked me how I could possibly be more qualified than their many-degreed expert.

I stated that on experience alone, I was more well-qualified by the repairs and restoration in projects many didn't think were possible, and in moisture testing I was definitely more qualified.

Another chuckle and the attorney asked me (in a very sarcastic tone I might add) how I was more qualified.

I then stated and asked, "the Dr. received moisture test certification in 1994, is that correct?"

The attorney (looking somewhat puzzled) nodded and said that was correct.

I then said, in the certification class, I was the instructor.

The look on that attorney's face was priceless.....

Speaking of more well-qualified, in a separate discussion, once again my lack of a degree became an issue, where this person claimed a degree, particularly a PhD, was proof of expertise that those with degrees do not have.

I then stated, "using your logic, then a first year PhD graduate in computer science is more well qualified that either Steve Jobs or Bill Gates, since both dropped out of college."

This is NOT to besmirch a college education or degree, but these points are to combat the ongoing assumptive snobbery and elitist attitude too many have when regarding intelligence and competency, believing a piece of paper is somehow better than someone who can consistently solve problems and think on their feet (MANY with and without degrees have this unquantifiable quality).

Other non-degreed tech successes: Mark Zuckerberg (Meta/facebook), Matt Mullenweg (Wordpress Founder), James Parks (Fit Bit), Jack Dorsey (Co-Founder and former CEO Twitter), Daniel Ek (Co-Founder and CEO Spotify). Larry Ellison (Co-Founder and CEO Oracle), etc.

Intelligence, wisdom, persistence, patience and critical thinking are ALL inextricably intertwined when it comes to a recipe for problem-solving, accomplishments and success....these are not measurable within our ability to calculate what or how much of each is necessary for what we wish or are able to accomplish, for any given situation or pursuit.

One of my favorite allegories: "Everybody is a Genius. But If You Judge a Fish by Its Ability to Climb a Tree, It Will Live Its Whole Life Believing that It is Stupid."

Find your genius....