Not so many decades ago a college education was widely considered to be open only to a rare few with substantial financial or intellectual resources. But as our society and our economy evolved and changed, so did opportunities for students to pursue the education that would help to develop the ideals of hope, courage, resilience and adaptability.
Public colleges and universities sprang up in every state, beckoning students of all backgrounds and socioeconomic statuses with new avenues to higher education – that ticket to a better life.
I was one of those students. Neither my father nor my mother finished high school. They worked hard and encouraged me to follow my dream and become a first-generation college student. A student who went on to discover the passion for learning, research and teaching that enabled me to achieve my goals. Like so many of our St. Cloud State University students, I worked and studied my way through to that much-coveted degree from a public university.
At St. Cloud State University, we are proud to be celebrating our 150th anniversary of opening doors to students and preparing them to succeed in life and work. That was our mission when the Third State Normal School – later St. Cloud Teachers College, St. Cloud State College and finally St. Cloud State University — enrolled its first students in 1869. And that’s still our mission today.
Throughout our sesquicentennial year we are shining a light on the university’s heritage and traditions, as well as renewing our commitment to giving our students the preparation to live lives of purpose with a well-rounded education. I believe in the value of and transformative nature of public higher education. It changed my life, and I want others, regardless of their background or socioeconomic status, to have this same opportunity.
At St. Cloud State, we believe education works best when students take full advantage of the educational opportunities the university pledges to deliver. Through that interactive process, they learn to think creatively and critically, seek and apply new knowledge, engage as a member of a diverse and multicultural community, communicate effectively, integrate existing and evolving technologies and act with personal integrity and civic responsibility.
These are the qualities that employers repeatedly say that they are looking for. They want to hire graduates to build a workforce of individuals who have skills and characteristics beyond the list of required qualifications on a job description.
When parents attempt to use their influence or finance to maneuver their children’s way into elite schools, they miss the point of entrance requirements and counseling that aim to match students to the right institution and course of study that will lead them into their futures.
It’s no secret that those with a four-year college degree earn twice what the average person with only a high school degree do in a lifetime of work. That’s because these graduates have developed the strengths and abilities to think independently, sort out their own problems, be dependable and loyal and figure out for themselves what they want and how to get it.
As a university president, I am always delighted to hear from alumni about how their post-secondary education helped them learn and grow to not only succeed in their careers, but also in their lives. They cite a wide array of learning experiences that opened their minds and their hearts to a life of purpose.
Some graduates mention professors whose teaching and mentoring steered them into the right career path. Others say it was a study-abroad experience or a leadership role in a student organization that helped them develop the character and knowledge that transformed their lives.
Access to higher education provided my own connection to the opportunities that generations of students have pursued and shared. That education has made a difference in their lives and in the communities where they have lived and worked. I am committed to public higher education and all it delivers.
Our society and our economy will continue to evolve and change. Higher education is a powerful change agent for individual students, for their families, and for the communities where they work and live. Quite simply, citizens are empowered to change the world when they have developed into positive, adaptable, independent thinking individuals.
I am proud to lead an institution within the City of St. Cloud, the state of Minnesota, the United States of America, and a global community that offers access to so many seeking that ticket to a better life.
This is the opinion of St. Cloud State University President Robbyn Wacker. To A Higher Degree is published the fourth Sunday of the month and rotates among the presidents of the four largest Central Minnesota higher education institutions.
