Entry 5: Local story respond

 Hey there welcome back!

Today I read an article that governor Ducey wrote about increasing the number of adults with college degrees or certificates. The article can be read here if you want to read it yourself. 

His article focuses on the importance of having an education beyond high school and how he strives to have at least 60 percent of the adult population in Arizona have a degree of some sort or certificate by the year 2030. His claim is strong and highlights the importance of having a college education by relating it to the real world. For example, he discusses that most careers require you to have an education beyond high school in order to be hired. In his words: Education equals opportunity. This is important when you take into consideration the difference between higher educated people and those who have only finished high school. In his article, he mentions that “the unemployment rate for individuals with only a high school diploma is nearly double that of those with a bachelor’s degree” 

In this case, I agree with that statement of education equalling opportunity. I come from a low-income family myself and it was not the easiest way of living. My parents basically lived paycheck to paycheck for the first 17 years of my life. It wasn't until my mom went back to school and earned her master's degree that she was able to get a more life-sustaining job. Now she is in a place where she doesn’t have to worry about how to pay bills or take care of her family. I hope that I can do something with the degree I am working for so that I can be in a better place than my parents first were. 

Throughout his article, Ducey addresses his readers as not just the governor but as a friend to the Arizona community which he states at the very beginning of his writing. This lets the readers know that this is more than just a political stance but a personal stance as he has a family of his own. We are able to stay connected with him and understand that as a parent he wants to see Arizonians not only get a degree but thrive with it. 

When I think of a politician my mind always goes to something politically or money-motivated because that's mostly what they are there for. However, while reading this article it did not feel like this was an issue being pushed upon us but more of a cause he is fighting for and wants us to join. With his appeal to emotion with the phrase, “I’m writing not just as an elected official, but as a husband and father”, he was able to connect with his audience on the same level and not just as someone in a position of power. For this reason, I wanted to learn more about this issue because as part of this community, I want to do what I can to ensure it is the best it can be. Like Ducey says, “We all have a stake in Arizona’s future.” 

Later on in the article, he discusses the “how-to” part of his plan to raise the number of people who acquire a college education. This is where he mentions that he’s added 142 million dollars to k-12 education and 38 million to universities. This is supposed to kick start the move to increase college readiness. I am personally happy with his plan to aid low-income and minority students as we are the ones who struggle the most with obtaining college opportunities. 

However, towards the end, he mentions that he wants kids to be competitive which I think loses some of his meaning of wanting ALL or MOST Arizonians to obtain a degree. I understand that to some degree college is competitive and unless you have the resources available your chances of going to college are close to nothing. Even so, the whole argument of his article was to make it easier for those who struggle with the means and resources to do so to ensure a better life so what competition is he discussing here? Maybe he meant to say motivated where motivation might mean competitive. Nonetheless, I still thought that was a poor choice of words if you are wanting to aid the state of Arizona in success not pin them against eachother to see who gets the better opportunity. 

 If I had to change something about the article I would have added more of the “Why” you should get a college degree. As a current college student, why should I want to go to college other than to ensure I get a career? What would happen if I decided to quit college? What are other negative effects of not having an education other than to get a better job that might pay more? Although I know most of the answers to these questions, maybe it's not common knowledge to others and maybe that's why they haven’t given a thought to college or its importance. 

I would have also liked to hear more about the direct resources available to attend college. How can I afford school and work my 9-5 job that only pays 15 an hour? What is there to encourage me to do so if I don't think I can afford it?  A majority of this article was aimed at high school students or their parents even though it seems like he's targeting the adult population of Arizona which is where the initial issue stems from. 

Overall, I think there are good intentions here and I thought the article was written well enough to encourage its readers that education is important. 

I hope this found you well, catch you in the next blog!