Last week, Beth Lindly wrote an insightful column about how internships favor wealthier students who could afford unpaid internships in expensive cities such as Boston, L.A., Chicago, N.Y.C., etc. She states in the closing paragraph that exceptional but poor students deserve better. The specific critique I intend to discuss – one of many for her column – is, does the University not already offer enough support for career development and employment opportunities? Furthermore, what is the role of the University for an education rather than a job?
The mission statement, as stated on the University’s website, is “to advance the intellectual and social condition of the people of the State through quality programs of teaching, research, and service.” Any opportunities the University provides beyond the academic classroom are for students to continue pursuing their intellectual, personal and career development.
The University, on its own accord, provides a tremendous network of career development and employment opportunities via the Career Center. It is completely unreasonable for the University to provide additional scholarships for exceptional students to pursue unpaid internships at NGOs and nonprofits. Just imagine the Pandora’s box of complaints that would be opened if the University started funding unpaid internships for select students. Morosely, it is more a societal problem – not a University problem – that to do good requires money – a depressing indication of our current world.
Another problem with Beth Lindly’s column is that it assumes a postsecondary education equates to job or internship offers, that doing the four years of classes and studying will guarantee some form of employment. I’m sorry, but what kind of fantastical math class taught students that if one receives a degree, one must also get a salary? Only doing just enough to get by never guaranteed anything, so why is a postsecondary education somehow different?
Of course, there are ways for ambitious and eager students to separate themselves from others. Let me put on the Nick Saban straw hat here and state that the desire to succeed and the willingness to prepare to succeed are two characteristics paramount to success in all areas. Having those characteristics, especially as collegiate students, is the catalyst for creating numerous academic, extracurricular and career opportunities. The separation that can occur for a student who has these characteristics and acts on them will produce an advantageous gap for years to come.
The University has an exceptional amount of resources, faculty, extracurricular and classes that allow every willing student to succeed and receive a tremendous education. It is up to individual students to seize opportunities and to make something of themselves. Ultimately, an education is not about these brief four years; it is so much more than that. An education really is the job of a lifetime.
Patrick Crowley is a junior majoring in mathematics, finance and economics. His column runs biweekly on Mondays.
