Dear Editor,

The article you recently posted, “Is College Worth It?,” makes a strong
argument for the value of a degree, but overlooks an important factor: the pressure that is
placed on recent high school graduates to attend college immediately after graduation.
College is a valuable investment, don’t get me wrong, but not every student is ready at the
age of 18 to choose a career path, understand what they aspire to do or understand
themselves and the world around them. In fact, many students actually benefit from taking
a gap year, gaining work experience or exploring trade programs before enrolling and
committing to a college.

As noted in the article, “6 Incredible Gap Year Statistics that Prove the Doubters Wrong,”
“60% of gap year students said that a year out helped them decide their major, realize their
future career direction and said that they took their academics more seriously after taking
a year out from education.”

Overall, we should promote a culture that values both education and personal growth. By
encouraging students to explore their options before committing to college, an increase in
intentional career choices, motivation and long-term success will occur for the
individuals.

I challenge you to consider this perspective and to address how society can better support
students in making better educated and knowledge-based decisions about their futures.
Shouldn’t we be advocating for pathways that align with students’ readiness and
aspirations than assuming college is the only logical next step?

Sincerely,
Maria Coenen