Thursday, January 22, 2009
My thoughts on the impending inevitable bailout...
Thursday, January 1, 2009
I owe this man my life... and we've never even met.
When I saw a news broadcast about the death of former Senator Claiborne Pell, I initially thought I had never heard of him.
Watching the broadcast, I became aware that this man was directly responsible for the life I live today. This former senator from Rhode Island was responsible for creating the Pell Grant, a fund for low-income students. Though he also sponsored many other laws and organizations (such as the National Endowment for the Arts), it is his Pell Grant that has changed my life the most.
I was made aware from a very young age that college would not be an option for me - my parents couldn't afford it. My high school guidance counselors were (I'll phrase this somewhat delicately) not very competent at or interested in doing their jobs, so I was not made aware of any opportunities for a higher education, beyond joining the military (not an option for me, as I am anti-war). Therefore, I graduated high school and worked a variety of jobs, mostly in restaurants and factories. As my friends left for college, I comforted myself by inwardly promising that I would save money, and that I too would go to college as soon as I had saved enough.
As it turns out, I never managed to save very much; but, I did learn how I could afford to realize my academic goals through obtaining grants and student loans. When I learned about the Pell Grant (which ultimately provided the bulk of my education's funding), I didn't give much thought to where it came from, or how it came to exist. I was just happy it existed at all.
The college experience completely changed my life. I was taught ways of thinking and exposed to topics I never would have been, otherwise. I learned about many subjects I would not have had the time or resources to study on my own. On a personal level, I met many wonderful friends and the person I would eventually marry. I developed a sense of confidence and fulfillment as I pursued and surpassed my academic goals. I developed a deep respect and a fervent desire for knowledge.
Currently, I'm preparing to enter graduate school. The speaker factory in my hometown where I worked before I went to college closed down years ago; the jobs were outsourced to Mexico.
Though it is cliche, I can't think of any other way to say it: I honestly don't know where I would be today if it weren't for Claiborne Pell. This man - a privileged son of "old money" New England, this eccentric man who went jogging in tweed jackets and was quoted as saying, "I believe in letting the other fellow have my way," in regards to his negotiating tactics, had enough foresight and compassion to give the priceless opportunity of education to millions of economically disadvantaged Americans he would never see or meet.
If only more members of Congress were like him.
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