Intellectual Aristocracy

Want to be part of the new aristocracy? 

The new aristocracy is called the intellectual aristocracy, filled with people who have invested in acquiring knowledge. Some years ago, Jaime Escalante, whose life was depicted in the movie Stand and Deliver, spoke about a poster hanging on a wall in his classroom. It read: “Free, free, free—knowledge. Bring your own containers.” How apropos for high school students on the brink of entering college and transitioning to the new world economy. 

Knowledge is abundant in the new economy, but we have to be willing to obtain it. Since the knowledge-based economy has engulfed us, we must prepare ourselves to not only to survive but to thrive. Unfortunately, mom and dad are not always going to support your habits. 

Soon—for some, sooner than you think—the responsibility will fall to you. Are you ready? At eighteen, I knew I wasn’t ready. After two years in southern Chile and a year of work, I was ready to enter college to gain knowledge. Had I heard about Escalante’s admonition, I would have brought along more containers. 

Consider these suggestions: 

One, understand that going to college should not be an option. It is a must, a prerequisite to being a part of the new intellectual aristocracy. Our family has always focused on the phrase: “Not if you are going to college but where.” 

Two, while in high school, take a rigorous set of courses. If you can, take those that count for dual-credit, credit for high school and college. You will be further ahead when you enroll in college. In fact, some students in other states earn their high school diploma one day, and the next day they receive their associate degree in other states. Invest now in obtaining the best grades and being involved, thus enhancing your chances to earn scholarships. 

Three, when you go to college, take advantage of the most affordable one you can attend, even if it is close to home. Because most college programs require two years of general education, it is more affordable to attend a two-year college. Community colleges offer a wonderful array of core courses taught by extremely gifted professors. 

Four, take a variety of courses, particularly those that require hard work and critical thinking skills. In the global market, most employers seek talented people who can think, adapt to change, and maneuver within the organization. Possessing good skill sets will enable you to succeed. 

And five, think of your education as an investment that should be replenished often. If you don’t reinvest in yourself and upgrade your skills along the way, you will succumb to the plight of dinosaurs who couldn’t adapt to change. Graduating from high school is truly a huge step. But begin strategizing now how you are going to maneuver successfully through our knowledge-based economy. The best part of being part of your lifelong educational investment is that you become part of the new intellectual aristocracy. 

Remember to bring lots of containers.

"Free, Free, Free: Knowledge...Bring your Own Containers"

“Free, free, free—Knowledge. Bring you own containers,” so reads a poster hanging on a wall in Jaime Escalante’s classroom (Escalante’s life was portrayed in the movie Stand and Deliver). Although some of the information we need to be successful is not free, what’s so amazing in today’s society is how much information is out there, something to the tune of doubling every 18 months.

Knowledge flows so quickly, equally dramatically as well as undramatically, that it is there for the gathering. It seems everyone is willing—or appears to be willing—to share his or her knowledge with us.

Like baby birds in a nest, sometimes all we have to do is open our mouths (our personal containers), and knowledge plops in almost effortlessly and faster than we are able to digest it. Knowledge is prolific, and intriguing questions emerge from the flow:

 How are we dealing with the information?
 Is it overwhelming us?
 Are we ignoring it?
 Are we taking advantage of it?

I believe the latter question is of grave consequence to each of us. Taking advantage of this new information will enlighten us and help us become more productive and successful in the marketplace. Consider the following five areas of “filling your containers”:

1. Research what is happening in your market place/product area. In every business sector, someone is researching something for somebody to gain, hopefully, the market edge. Of course, you have to ask yourself: Do the research results parallel my own market analysis or do I need to do one myself? Or do I need more training in certain aspects of the business? Keeping current with the research is, at best, difficult to do, even if you have someone working full time just keeping tabs on the pulse of the information. Nonetheless, knowing what is going on in your market and how you will deal with it is imperative to your future survival.

2. Capture the newest and best information. While there is a surging flow of information, some of it may not be pertinent to you and your market. After you have identified the sources for the information, then decide the most appropriate information for you. Having a “jaundiced eye” will keep you from pursuing information not relevant to your mission. Being on the “cutting edge” is always nice, especially if you want to be ahead of the game.

3. Implement the new information. You have done the research. You know the best information possible. You send your employees or yourself to be trained in the new information. Now is the time to implement the new information/ techniques and see if all of your research will pay off. Implementation may be the scariest part although you should be moderately confident you have done your homework.

4. Assess how the information works. Most companies are constantly assessing and reassessing the process of how they do a particular component of their business. They are objective enough to understand when something does not work and either dumping the “container of information” altogether or readjusting the information to fit their current operation. Whatever the case may be, make sure you are striving for continuous improvement.

5. Continue the cycle. Part of any cycle is continuously running through the process and completing it all over again and monitoring it at every step. A continuous effort in capturing the best information from the most appropriate sources; converting that information to tangible, concrete answers for your business; continually assessing to see what impact the information had on your company, both short term and long term; and starting the process all over again—all these constitute a visionary yet practical process of remaining competitive.

If all else fails, remember Jaime Escalante and always keep an open container with you. You will never know when you will need to lean over and pluck some new tidbit of information from the roaring river of data. Don’t worry if you fall in. As you dry out, you will have time to reflect your future. Good luck filling those containers.

"Paucity of Respect"

Okay, I am confused by all of the fuss about President Obama's speech to America's students. I am confused about a our local headline that read: "Should we invite Obama to our classrooms?"

Am I missing something here or are people having some sort of historical log jam that causes brain waves to dismount and flow into some abnormal recess where they won't have to think? Having the President of the United States of American talk to our children should be a good thing.

Before I launch in, I didn't vote for President Obama, but I do believe that he believes like I believe that education is the most important ingredient to add to one's life experience in order to "see beyond the present." In fact, my formulaic motto has been this (taken from strategic planning concepts): past + the future = the present. And I think that is what President Obama has tasked himself to do. He wants students to understand that school is very, very important. I don't think there is one person alive--well, maybe a couple--who doesn't believe that education is the key to personal success and the success of economic development.

From what I can gather, President Obama wants to discuss basically three things: 1) to encourage students to work hard (since when is working hard a bad thing?); 2) to encourage students to set education goals for their futures (now, there's a novel idea to set goals so you can achieve something); and 3) help student understand the importance of taking on personal responsibility for learning (student should be taught to be lifelong learners). Tell me what is wrong with these three items?

Okay, I know that there is a particularly "curriculum" that has been devised/developed/created by the Department of Education. I realize that some of the "discussion questions" may not be what some teachers or parents would like their children to be asked. But any teacher worth his or her salt can surely devise other questions that ostensibly will encourage some critical thinking. It seems to me that for decades, teachers--me included--have attempted to inculcate critical thinking into our curricula--across the board. Truly, it cannot be that tough to create other types of discussion or assignments to be used in the classroom. I can think of dozens of ways to make President Obama's speech to students integral to classroom learning. You just have to think about it.

Now, if today's teachers could utilize holograms to "invite" presidents to their classrooms, would they invite Washington, Adams, Jackson, Lincoln, Wilson, Roosevelt, Kennedy, and other historical figures to the classroom? You bet! Who wouldn't want President Lincoln to enter their classroom to talk about a variety of issues in his time. If you remember back, there were a whole lot of people who didn't believe anything he said for almost five years. In fact, we went to war over these issues, and families were destroyed because of them. But today, I believe, we would highly encourage President Lincoln to come. Can you imagine having him come and talk about the "Gettysburg Address" and its significance to him and that time and place?

But now, President Obama--the current President of the United States, duly elected by the people--would like a few words with our children to help them understand his love of education and its importance in their lives? I personally do not think there is anything wrong with this.

President Obama talks about the "audacity of hope." All of this hoopla seems to be nothing but a "paucity of respect" for the President of the United States of America. Let's see what he says and then have the discussion--an open, respectful, and critically thought out discussion.

Lifelong Learning

“Yes, I’m done with school,” said a young bridegroom to me when I asked him about his educational status and future.

My response was spontaneous and swift: “Well, now the education really begins because learning is a lifelong process.”

I’m sure he wasn’t ready for me to say that. He was marrying a beautiful young woman who was finishing her baccalaureate degree, had a pretty good job as a chef, and figured his life couldn’t get any better. But I had to plant the seed because metaphorically I am an educational farmer and entrepreneur, one who sees the wide open stretches of fertile minds of people, young and old, employed and unemployed and figures everyone should be doing something to enhance his or her capacity to learn.

As I was driving home after the wedding, I couldn’t help but think about the 81-year-old GED graduate who haltingly crawled out of her wheelchair, grabbed her walker, and shuffled cautiously across the stage at a Lewis-Clark State College General Educational Development (GED) graduation to receive her GED certificate. Tears swelled up in my eyes as I watched her walk back to her wheelchair and sit back down. The crowd gave her a standing ovation.

I also thought about the 78-year-old GED graduate at Eastern Idaho Technical College (EITC) some years ago who said, “I am getting my GED because I know I will be a good example to my grandchildren.” Donned in traditional cap and gown, she, too, received a standing ovation as she walked across the stage and waved to her family.

Often, I also think of the 30 or so “more mature adults” who all trundled to Lewiston once during the month of June to participate in an Elderhostel activity. These adults came from across the country and are all over 50, many of them in their 60s, and will participate in a week-long course that will introduced them to Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery. Many of the these Elderhostelers have been to one or more Elderhostel activities around the United States during the past year. Their education might have ended several decades ago, but their learning has never stopped. Instead, they seek opportunities to learn because, as one of them commented, “I love to learn.”

At the opening session when I heard this phrase at their opening dinner, I marveled at it, yet simultaneously wondered how we could instill this progressive, albeit simple, philosophy in young people in grade school or junior or senior high school. These young people’s repetitious phrase is diametrically opposed to the senior citizens’: “I can’t wait to get out of school. I’m so burned out.”


When I hear this phrase, I want to literally scream: “Don’t say that! Don’t quit the process now! Your foundation has already been laid. Courage, and on to the victory.” After I calm down, I find solace in the fact that they will go on. Many of them just need to experience the jolt of menial labor or no job at all to open their eyes to learning and the prospects of an enhanced life.

In speeches, I often used the Jaime Escalante’s phrase, “Free, free, free, knowledge; bring you own containers.” Life is all about that phrase. Knowledge oozes out of every corner and crack. Often it just seeps by us or hangs from luscious baskets within our reach, but often we do not take advantage of the proliferation of knowledge. Or we fail to pack around our own containers, our buckets. Or worse, just the bottoms of our buckets are covered, and we say “I’ve got all the knowledge I want.”

Sometimes our buckets are like the old wire baskets I used to pick potatoes (a.k.a. “spuds”) in Eastern Idaho. They did not fill up by themselves. In order to pick a sack full of hardy Russets, my partner—most of the time my brother—and I had to bend over our baskets and reach for the potatoes. After dumping our full baskets in the gunny sack, we set the sack in the furrow between us and began again. Then, the truck would come by and take the sack to the spud cellar where they stored them until they were ready to sell.

Our gathering of knowledge parallels spud picking. It takes a bit of effort to fill our buckets. We may have to bend our backs, stretch our minds, work midst wind and snow storms and tauntings of others, and maybe even make a few sacrifices. But in the end, it’s all worth it. Like spuds in the cellar, knowledge stores easily in our minds until we need to use it. But we also need to couple it with everyday experiences so we can make the appropriate connections.

Learning is an investment, one that yields high benefits and interest. Because of the many changes in the world and the workplace, you may need to withdraw these resources at any given time. Invest now and often and keep your bank account growing.

Don't Stay Home After High School Graduation--Go to a Community College

Scott Card wrote recently that young students should consider taking a year off before going to college. I have another suggestion: go to your local community college, part time or even full time, even if you want to work.

Yes, I know that some Mormon parents have a challenge with the idea that a “community college” may not be up to snuff with one of the BYUs. Since both of my daughters graduated from community colleges—Miles Community College in Miles City, Montana, and Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, Wyoming—I have some perspective from which to speak.

First of all, I realize that young people want to “get out of the house” after they graduate from high school. In fact, many of them live for the day when they can possibly move out. But what we discovered is that our daughters matured greatly living at home their first year out of high school and learned some great lessons.

They both had to get a job after high school. The summer was filled with work, work, work; but they saved up enough to help with college expenses. In fact, with what they saved, the scholarships they earned, and the savings from merely staying at home, they both finished a two-year, fully transferable degree with no debt.

To help high school students prepare for graduation and whether they want to go to college, one of the keys to this decision is this: “Try out college” by taking full advantage of dual enrollment or dual credit courses offered by a local community college or four-year institution.

Both of our daughters graduated from high school with one year of college under their belts and needed only one year at the local community college to graduate and transfer on.

And, yes, when they received their associate degrees, they both were accepted by BYU in Provo. Anna Rose graduated last April, and Hailey is scheduled to graduate in December.

Now, what about being connected to LDS youth while attending a community college and not a Church school? In most community colleges, they can be just as attached to LDS youth as in most four-year colleges and universities. Perhaps, some LDS high school graduates—and their parents—still wonder about “How can we have similar experiences like our friends at BYU if we do attend our local community college or four-year institution?”

Lo and behold, let me count the ways.

Institute—At many community colleges, institute classes abound, ones that students and other young single adults who are not attending college can attend. The institute teachers I have known in a couple of states are good ones. They know the gospel, they know how to teach, and they connect with the youth. Usually, young adults meet once a week. Even after institute, many of them go out after institute for ice cream or just to chat.

Family Home Evening (FHE)—Most Institute-age youth are adamant about having Family Home Evening every Monday night. They play games, they have poetry sessions, they go to concerts at the community college, they play sports, and they do a lot of other things. The bottom line is that they are together, enjoying each other’s company.

Latter-day Saints Student Association (LDSSA)—On many community college campuses, students have formed an LDSSA club. Each chapter is full of college-age students and not necessarily college-going students, although the majority of the members are students at the community college. I know many community colleges that have LDSSA chapters and chapters of other religions.

Young Single Adult Branches (YSA)—Young adult branches, and in some cases, young single adult wards, thrive. The purpose of the branches in communities where the Church does not dominate is to provide similar opportunities to serve in many church capacities just like they would at one of the Church schools and to help young people increase their knowledge of the gospel. What I have experienced first-hand is the growth of many of the young single adults while attending these branches

Other activities—Whether it is Institute, FHE, LDSSA, Church, or even Friday night soccer, college-age students have a lot of fun together. Plus, many other college-sponsored activities abound on all campuses. There should not be a dull moment for any student.

Yes, the majority of the community college students still work in the ever-changing workplace, many of them still live at home, and others live together in apartments. But I have watched many of them grow and develop into wonderful mature human beings. Many of the young men and young women go on missions because of their close associations with the return missionaries in the branch. Many parents have thanked us for helping their son or daughter see the bigger picture.

I think the bottom line is this: College is not necessarily a good option for some young people immediately after high school. They need to work and mature. On the hand, there are those who should go to college immediately after high school because they are ready. I believe community colleges help ready young people for the real world. For one thing, the average age of community college students hovers around 27 or 28 years old, which allows for a nice mix of younger and older people.

In the health sciences programs, the average age is 33-34-years old. And most of them work and/or have families. The classes are very diverse. Often, these classes are full of people who have had real-life experiences, and hopefully our youth can learn from them.

Probably one of the most important things that Mormon parents ought to know about community colleges is the cost. Often, the counties where the community colleges are located offer “tuition waivers” for their residents. Coupled with financial aid and other scholarships, students can attend free or close to free, depending on where you live, for two years. With the cost of education rising faster than inflation, then why not take advantage of the scholarship opportunities and the low cost of attending a community college?

Finally, I know parents wonder about the “quality” of community college classes. From a parent’s perspective, my two received great educations at their community colleges. In fact, my youngest daughter’s portfolio from her mass media program was touted as “one of the best” a faculty member had ever seen.
Another important point that needs to be addressed is how difficult it can sometimes be for young adults to go to college once they have sat out for a while. Unfortunately, it is too easy for life to get in the way of the return to college.

One of the challenges I have seen students encounter is what I have labeled “Pickup U.” Once some young people get out into the job market, they tend to buy the biggest, brightest pickup, sound/TV system, a phone contract , and/or a host of other things and ultimately get hooked into a large payment that may necessitate them having to continue to work instead of going to school as they originally planned. In essence, people sometimes allow bills and life to just get in the way of going to school. Then, unfortunately, some believe “it is too late” to return.

But with community colleges, it is never too late to start your future.
Because community colleges are such a great bargain—for the most part—potential students who have gotten into a payment situation or two can still go to college. Flexibility is a virtue at community colleges, offering courses at various times of the day and night and even on weekends. Thus, those who have climbed into a financial abyss can generally keep their job and can keep up with their payments while enrolled in a community college, full or part time.

And, of course, most of those who do not go straight to college have a very difficult time with their fundamental skills like math or English, which means it costs them another semester or two of math classes to get up to speed. Thus, in the end, it ultimately costs more time and money (tuition, books, and fees).

Whether Mormon students attend a community college or a Church-sponsored university right after high school, it all boils down to choices—whether they choose to go to class, whether they choose to follow the rules, whether they choose to study—no matter which college/university they attend.

President Hinckley used to say, “Do the best you can, the very best.” I think that’s a good motto to follow, whether you take a year off before going to college or enter college immediately upon graduation.

So, when you think of just hanging out for a year before attending college, look favorably on attending a community college, full time or part time, while you are working and trying to figure out the world.

But just remember whose you are.