According to the organization of economic cooperation and development (OECD), the US gap between the rich and the poor keeps widening. The top 10% got richer, while 90% got poorer or did not change since the recent recession. At the same time our students' overall academic performance has gotten worst and more so in math. Even more striking is the achievement gap among White, Black and Hispanic students that has also widened significantly.
All of these data is good and clearly they show that we have lots of work ahead of us. However, it is important to notice that students have often failed to achieve their career goals simply because they have not taken on opportunities that were presented to them. In fact, this is true for all races. Life is like a sail boat, unless you catch the wind you will get nowhere. But to "catch the wind" you need to change your position by steering properly...
Last week we scheduled a visit at two of the research laboratories (engineering and health) at Columbia University, just a few blocks from our facility. This was a pure academic visit to drive curiosity and interests in the particular fields of study. It was also designed to enable our students to develop a relationship with college students and professors at one of the top schools in the country and a member of the "Ivy League Schools". 10% of our students took advantage of this visit. Why? because they saw the OPPORTUNITY. These students can now claim that they have engaged with Columbia students and they can write about their experience in those labs and they can seek out to join the school so that they can be part of that experience. Wayne Gretzky, famous Canadian ice hokey player, once said "I skate to where the pack is going to be, not where it has been."
The 10% of our students that came to our visit showed that they have the wisdom and the determination to sail to greater places. The future is not a place that you get to go but the place you get to create.
Congratulations to the 10% of ACP!
All of these data is good and clearly they show that we have lots of work ahead of us. However, it is important to notice that students have often failed to achieve their career goals simply because they have not taken on opportunities that were presented to them. In fact, this is true for all races. Life is like a sail boat, unless you catch the wind you will get nowhere. But to "catch the wind" you need to change your position by steering properly...
Last week we scheduled a visit at two of the research laboratories (engineering and health) at Columbia University, just a few blocks from our facility. This was a pure academic visit to drive curiosity and interests in the particular fields of study. It was also designed to enable our students to develop a relationship with college students and professors at one of the top schools in the country and a member of the "Ivy League Schools". 10% of our students took advantage of this visit. Why? because they saw the OPPORTUNITY. These students can now claim that they have engaged with Columbia students and they can write about their experience in those labs and they can seek out to join the school so that they can be part of that experience. Wayne Gretzky, famous Canadian ice hokey player, once said "I skate to where the pack is going to be, not where it has been."
The 10% of our students that came to our visit showed that they have the wisdom and the determination to sail to greater places. The future is not a place that you get to go but the place you get to create.
Congratulations to the 10% of ACP!
