Best and Brightest

Our family doesn't typically purchase a Sunday paper except for two special editions: Black Friday edition and Best & Brightest.

Best & Brightest showcases senior high school students in the Central PA region who are making strides to better their community, their families, and themselves.  They are selected by a panel of local community figures.

I enjoy reading what these young people are up to.  I get excited listening to their aspirations and learning about the obstacles they have overcome to reach their goals.  One of the young people selected was one of my husband's students and he is quoted in the article about her.

The student that stood out to me, however, was a young man named Scott Fogle from Cumberland Valley High School.  What set him apart from all the other Best and Brightest students is his plans for after graduating high school.  They read as follows:

Defer his acceptance to the University of Pittsburgh's Honor's College at Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Science to save for college.  He will live with his aunt in Redwood City, Calif., and work full time.

Wow.  This is the first time I've ever seen "work" listed under the immediate plans for any student selected for this honor.  What an encouragement.  What an eye-opener.  How refreshing.

Interestingly enough, there was also an article in this Sunday's paper entitled "Degrees of Debt" which features area college graduates telling of their struggle with repaying student loans.  One woman shares that her student loan debt drains her of about half of her disposable work income.  Given the chance she shares that she would have made different financial decisions.  Another woman in the article likens her college debt to a noose around her neck that tightens every time she tries to better her life.  Pretty sad.

Proverbs 22:7 reads, "The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender."  Right before this is the all too familiar verse that speaks of training our children in the way they should go so that when they get old they will not turn from it.  I don't believe that this is a coincidence.

Kudos to Scott and his parents for starting his future out on the right foot.  Although their decision may not be a popular one, it clearly is the best and brightest.