Dumb Luck

It’s dumb luck, growing up in a first world country, with educated parents, the opportunity to go to school, let alone college. Yes, itåÊtakes determination, talent, and good ol’ hard work to achieve success. But there’s no doubt thatåÊat the end of the day, many of us take for granted that the largeståÊproblem we are jugglingåÊis trying to figure out what we want to major in. Everyone knows it. We see commercials for charities on TV. We hear the news on the radio. We attendåÊbenefits and fundraisers.åÊWe tweet. We discuss. We debate. åÊSometimes we use it to prove our worth. How knowledgeable are you on the Syria crisis?åÊEnquiring minds want to know.åÊShare the latest CNN news report on FB with your respective opinions. You’re fellow friends will appreciate your insight. If you’re really feeling bold, you can start a fundraiser for it. I wouldn’t be surprised if two billionaires aren’t sitting in a room right now discussing the best action plan for the latest world disaster. I may be a millennial in my thinking. Naive, even. But I’m proud to be part of a generation that promotes equality, that speaks out for it. What I’ve found since coming back to the United States isn’t really ground breaking. But as a high school graduate looking at colleges, my experience in Brazil has sparked me with a realization of the real flaws in our education system and further more, our society. A lot ofåÊwhat defines us is dumb luck but I think the bigger picture what we do with that luck. What are we going to do about it? I guess thats what I want to work for. There’s been a lot of advancement, Harvard claims that at their school, families with incomes between $65,000 and $150,000 will contribute from 0-10% of their income but what percent of their students are in this bracket? Less than 20%. Many of these students are also helping fund their education by participating in Work-Study programs. But why should a student whose parents make less than $60k have more time taken away from them for studying than a student whose parents can afford a full tuition? Why. There’s a big flaw in our education system and it’s exactly why there is a such a big divide in our society. Most of today’s decision makersåÊhave lived a life on double, triple, quadruple the income of the average american. Consumerism has taken over society. We all need to take a second to step back and decide-åÊWhat do we want to do with our dumb luck?