Your Degree Matters

Many people in my family did not go to college, and that is still the story for many people in this country. That’s perfectly fine. College is not the only pathway to success and a fulfilling life. The beauty of our country is that it needs skillsets, perspectives and contributions from everyone, irrespective of whether there are fancy letters in front of your name or degrees after it. “After decades of falling wages, young U.S. workers (ages 25 to 34) without a bachelor’s degree have seen their earnings increase over the past 10 years,” according to a 2024 Pew Research Center study

Newport, RI - February 7: From left, senior Hannah Mailey and juniors Aoi Tamura and Maggie Theofanides work on an experiment during their Physical Chemistry II class at Salve Regina University. (Photo by Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Boston Globe via Getty Images

“The public has mixed views on the importance of having a college degree, and many have doubts about whether the cost is worth it,” the Pew study went on to say. The results vary according to political affiliation, gender, college exposure, and other factors. There are clearly signals to pay attention to, but a signal that is getting lost in the “narrative of the moment” is that a college degree still matters.

“Nearly half of employers say most jobs at their organization require a college degree to be successful…. Three-quarters say a degree will be as important or more important five years from now,” according to a recent Lumina Foundation study. “The reality is that employers still use the degree as a sorting device. It serves as a baseline for competence, persistence, and cognitive ability,” the study continued. A cautionary finding in the study was that though degrees reduce hiring risk, they may not guarantee job readiness.

According to the Social Security Administration, “Men with bachelor’s degrees earn approximately $900,000 more in median lifetime earnings than high school graduates.” Women earn $630,000 more. These numbers exceed the $1 million mark for men and women with graduate degrees.

The Experience Matters

During my time at Florida State University, the non-classroom experiences were probably as valuable to me as the classes, professors, and degrees. I pledged Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and formed lifelong friendships through that organization, intramural sports, class government, clubs, or just hanging out at the Wednesday market in the student union. “Colleges are often centers of community service, civic engagement, and cultural enrichment,” wrote the UNCF website.

I still remember my freshman year. An African American boy from a small Georgia town walked into a dorm room and met a towering boy from Pensacola, Florida who clearly had a different set of experiences and marinades than me. We have kept in touch over the years. In such moments, you realize the world is not this siloed, comfort zone that you have been steeped in much of your life. Colleges and universities provide environments to learn that your way of life is not necessarily the only template. The experiences challenge students to be nimble, empathetic, and hopefully respectful of different viewpoints. Why is all of that important? Most graduate schools, new jobs, future civic activities, or living situations will not consist of a homogeneous set of people, viewpoints, or experiences.

A Broader Perspective Limits Narrow Thinking

I spent twelve years of my career at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center during and after receiving my doctorate at FSU. In that cauldron of science and technology, I worked with some of the most brilliant minds this country and the international community had to offer. In those early moments of my career, I learned that people from other countries may have different backgrounds, but we all had a shared goal of research, innovation and discovery to make our home planet better.

During that period, I traveled to Japan, Europe and Puerto Rico for job-related activities. College provides opportunities to travel through study abroad, study away, and domestic field study. My daughter, a graduating senior at the University of Georgia, spent a semester studying in London and also visited Ireland. Upon return, she spent several weeks on the Georgia coast educating students about coastal sustainability issues like sea level rise and microplastics. My son, a basketball player at Oglethorpe University, has been exposed to similar travel experiences during away games.

“Once ideas, even false ones, have taken hold, it is much more difficult to take in information that challenges those ideas…. One of the best ways to overcome false information about the world is to travel,” wrote former Forbes contributor Jonathon Look. He also said, “Instead of using interconnectedness to seek out data that broadens our knowledge and understanding, too often we seek out information that reinforces our prejudices and fears.”

Be Comfortable Being Uncomfortable

One piece of advice that I always share with my kids is to “be comfortable being uncomfortable.” I strongly believe this is part of many challenges in society today. Some people romanticize familiarity. Different neighbors, viewpoints, or experiences may be perceived as threatening or disruptive to a “way of life.” College was a proving ground for many uncomfortable and unfamiliar experiences like making that first B (or C, D, or F), having to use a shared bathroom space, or having a professor of a different race or culture for the first time.

Such experiences prepare you for career and other life scenarios that may not go as you planned. Flexibility, the ability to pivot and adjust will be a constant part of the rest of your life.

Appreciation Of Your Support Systems

As I got older, I realized something else college does. It makes you really value our support systems. As students, we take for granted that parents, grandparents, professors, advisors, peers and mentors help us navigate living on our own for the first time, mastering a challenging new class or trying to figure out how to use the local bus system.

As parents of two college students, my wife and I give our son and daughter enough rope to live independently (and even fail). However, we are always there to reel them in as needed. None of us get where we are without support systems. Class of 2026, be sure to thank all of those people in your life that supported you even if it is your bus driver, landlord, parents, or that person in the cafeteria that always gave you a little extra scoop of ice cream.

It Was The Best Time Of Your Life

College is fun. I still look back on it as some of the best times of my life. I bet many college graduates in 2026 will say the same. As I write this, it is the morning of my 28th wedding anniversary. I met my wife at Florida State University. I have never run a marathon and have no plans to ever do so. However, I also see the sense of pride, camaraderie, and achievement marathon runners display upon completion of the race. In many ways, that analogy aligns with the college experience.

To this day, I have active group texts with my closest college friends. I have an established network of alumni at almost any place that I go in the world. I have shared experiences with other alumni related to pulling all-night study sessions, stepshows, parties, spring break trips, or campus-specific traditions.

Good luck graduates.

Ring the Bell and Go Noles.