When Ivy League Isn’t the Only Option
Through the past few decades, our school system and society as a whole have developed in a way that it encourages students to focus on pursuing higher education after grade school, getting a degree, and only concentrate on academics during the formative years of life. This aspect of the way Americans have tried to nurture and raise the younger generations has led to significant success for our country as a whole and ensures that our citizens are educated and capable. I believe that for the most part, providing a rigorous academic upbringing for young people should continue, but that our society and education system should be more open-minded as a whole and encourage more alternative paths to success other than getting a going through a four-year college and getting a degree. I wouldn’t have taken this stance if it wasn’t for the fact that to reach these goals, students have to get exceptional grades and perform well on standardized tests. Not all people are the same, and earning a high GPA, and test scores are much more comfortable for some students than for others. Even though these factors are often an indicator of success in the future, nobody should be made to feel like they are less smart than others because they struggled in high school or college. There are a vast variety of career options in vocational fields that can be high earning and gratifying, and I believe that these opportunities shouldn’t be thought of as a secondary option that’s less desirable than starting a career from a degree but emphasized an equal but different route of life. For this topic, I thought it would be appropriate to showcase an example of something that someone can make a career out of without having to get a fancy degree or get stellar grades in high school and college.
For my senior project, I found a mentor who runs his own business as a woodturner. He makes custom wooden products such as furniture parts, ornaments, bowls, architectural and design pieces, and a great variety of other objects. I learned a considerable amount not only about woodturning itself but about how someone can use a craft where they work with their hands to build a successful career. Before this project, I had never even heard of woodturning. It involves a piece of equipment called the lathe. A portion of wood is attached to it, and then rotated at a high rate, anywhere from but not limited to 800-1500 RPM. While the wood is spinning, sharpened metal tools with different shaped tips depending on their purpose, are used to cut away at the wood and form it into various shapes. This craft is fun and fascinating because you can go from a raw piece of wood to a finished product quicker than almost any other form of woodworking. Though it requires a firm hand and precise coordination, it doesn’t need intense physical exertion or strength since the lathe is providing most of the force for the cutting process. During my mentored internship, I made products such as a honey dipper, a snowman ornament, and various types of bowls. Learning about the different projects and jobs that my mentor completes on a daily basis was very interesting. One of his biggest money-makers was wine stoppers. The tops of these objects can have different designs and details. He says that he has made thousands of them himself and that selling them has paid his mortgage for over 15 years! He can also design and produce furniture replacement parts for antique wooden furniture that has been damaged and broken. He also makes architectural pieces such as columns and interior parts for anyone who needs them, and even for film production sets. This wide range of options has helped maintain the success of his business because of there is a slump or lack of demand for one category, there’s always many other options and reasons for consumers to need his services. He also travels all over the United States and occasionally to different countries to teach woodturning classes and demonstrate the craft at various schools and events. This is an excellent way for him to keep his business going strong using his years of experience, unique skill, and abilities as a teacher. His daily activities have taught me that using one given skill; one can find success in more ways than expected by utilizing every option possible. If he put all of his efforts into producing wine stoppers, he would probably see fluctuations in his profits and success, but since he has such a diverse range of activities that gain revenue, his business can remain much more stable and secure.
The most important thing that I learned from this is that one can find success in many different places that some might not expect. If someone is passionate about something, putting in full effort and lots of hard work is all it takes to make a career out of it. Education and academic success is undoubtedly essential for everyone, but it should not be revered as the only standard or requirement for students to have a bright future. Kids should instead be encouraged to pursue their passions and dreams no matter what they are. No one should tell students they can’t achieve them just because someone doesn’t think they don’t compare to others based on their grades; or, because they aren’t attending a four-year university and getting a fancy degree. Due to how competitive colleges are these days, students should not be in the mindset that good grades equal a good future and that there are no other good options.
Noah is a senior, and has been a part of the Catalyst for over a year now. He is on the swim team, and plays water polo and lacrosse. Noah thinks that...
