Life After Graduation - Family Vision Column

Ben Cel Fish is definitely a guy with street cred. With his tattoos, body piercing, and wardrobe, he promotes that he's 'ghetto fabulous.' Unfortunately, Ben has wasted his time throughout high school. Now, as a senior, he doesn't have enough credits to graduate. Ben doesn't care about anything because he's going to 'keep it real.' On graduation day, there is one empty chair...Ben's. Ben's teachers didn't understand him. Ben was a white suburb kid with highly educated parents, living in an exclusive neighborhood.

An Age of Uncertainty

This month millions of students will graduate from school and begin a tedious journey towards adulthood and personal responsibility. Graduation speakers provide students with worldly wisdom for the future. I only wonder if they listen. Several years ago, I lectured at John C. Smith University, a prestigious North Carolina institution. I met a perplexed father who had a graduating senior. The daughter had informed her father that she wanted to be a deejay instead (after he had spent $80,000 on her college degree). You can imagine the frustration of this parent. The truth is, however, this situation is not peculiar in these times. Many young people feel when they turn 17 years old, they don't need to listen to anyone.

Sadly, many don't want to hear that being grown-up means being responsible. I constantly talk with students about life after school. When I explain the challenges of adulthood, I can be assured of a smile, and "It's cool, Mr. Green. I got it covered." In my mind, I am saying, "Young man, young lady, you need to keep it real!" From the very rich to the poorest of the poor, we see people caught in a vicious cycle of bad decision making. Despite all the wise counsel, the poor decisions continue. Let's explore this matter closer.

The Cultural Clash

Are kids pursuing their own dreams or the pipe dream of pop culture? The reality is our students are dropping out of school. Let's review an example from my own state. A national study in 2005 showed that the State of Tennessee graduation rate (57% versus the national average of 71%) was ranked toward the bottom, moving ahead of only South Carolina and Georgia. Furthermore, meeting educational expectations continues to be a problem even after high school. The University of Tennessee is on an aggressive campaign to increase its freshman retention rate of 81%, one of the lowest among its Tennessee Higher Education Commission-selected peer institutions. These problems are not unique to the state of Tennessee. No one is exempted from these types of problems in society. Clearly, today's youth have an abundance of resources to help them be successful. Why is the overall achievement so low then?

Currently, parents are in the midst of a fierce battle over their children. Pop culture, aided by mass media, bombards impressionable youth with value systems in conflict with those of parents and schools. Reality shows such as Pimp My Ride, American Idols, and Cribs depict life of lavish living on Easy Street. However, the producers never discuss the price of fame. To gain street credibility, rappers exchange rap music for police rap sheets. Sadly, pop culture portrays success like it is cheap penny candy. Therefore, our children who are raised on the emptiness of pop culture, are destined for a rude awaking as reality hits. Some liberal thinkers believe that exposing youth to adult material will make them better people. This is not the case. Instead it leaves young people with a false confidence that they know everything about life.

The Path Forward

Life is not a reality show. Parent and students should be proud of the accomplishment of graduation. There are severe consequences in making the wrong choices. Bestselling author Brian Tracy argues, "The further you think into the future, the better decisions you will make in the present to assure that future becomes a reality." Throughout their schooling, most young people are shielded from the sacrifices that their parents make for them and all the cost that is associated with being an adult. For the graduating class of 2007, the future is bright. Life is really a marathon of decisions. By making better decisions, graduates can look forward to improving the quality of their lives and perhaps 'keeping it real.'