Other Viewpoints

I am one of those strange people who read newspapers cover to cover every week. Something about local newspapers just seem to be a hidden reflection of the community that is the heart of small towns.

Do I immediately find value or meaning in what I read? No, not always. That’s what the internet and social media are for – immediate relevance. Local newspapers are more like reading chapters in a multi-generational novel. In TV terms “A sweeping saga of many generations as they pass thru time and place.”

Confession: I’ve read every line of the details of graduating classes in The Ledger for the past three years. It’s good to read about the dreams and goals of anyone, but young people hold a special place in small towns – even if their dreams will take them far away. (They don’t know it yet, but they may find themselves irresistibly drawn back, perhaps decades later.)

I’m fascinated by the number of scholarships high school grads have to patch together to afford tuition. I think last year, I counted 20 in one write-up of a Thompson Falls graduating senior. Wow! Hard work begins early in life. And applying for scholarships is just one stage of a continuing process. What a great lesson in persistence, rejection, self-confidence, success (hopefully) and persistence.

Many of us made our way through life without benefit of higher education. You have only to read the obituaries to see college isn’t necessary for a full and rewarding life and career. But what about those who chose higher learning as their path? How is it our place to judge their route? And it’s hard to disagree that hard work and determination shouldn’t be rewarded.

I was raised by blue-collar parents who believed two things about college: 1. It’s only for rich people; and 2. It’s only for people who don’t have a skill and can’t go to work right out of high school. Not sure how that attitude would go over today, but things were very different back then. My path has been hard at times, as I’ve faced discrimination because I don’t have a college degree… any degree, just to show that I could do it. At this point in my career, it doesn’t matter. But, oh, what I could have done, with a college degree.

So, as we near graduation for our local high schools, I would like to ask all of you to search your hearts and see if there isn’t some young person in our communities that you would like to assist with their goal of college. There are several ways to do this regardless of your financial situation. College is expensive, and so many families have very limited resources. Maybe you have kids or grandkids of your own who you are setting aside money for? But if you don’t (and even if you do, and your heart is big even if your bank account is small) please consider giving to help other high school grads. Whether you can give $25 or $2,500, your gift will assuredly be accepted with a gratitude that only grows with time. And if you are looking for a way to create a legacy, how about setting up your own scholarship fund? It doesn’t have to be a huge amount. Anything that adds to the patchwork of college funding will help.

We have the great privilege of being able to sow into others to help them build a future where they can give back not only to the next generation, but to previous ones. If you want to take it from a selfish perspective, helping high school grads prepare for making good incomes means more money into Social Security. You see, it’s hard to find a downside to investing in other people.

I ask you to please reach deep not only your wallets, but also your hearts, and sow, sow, sow. If you check with your local high school, they will surely have suggestions for you. I have someone in mind that I want to help more, and if you absolutely can’t think of who to help, I’ll be glad to pass along their name.

I want to read this year’s graduating class update in The Ledger and not be able to count the number of scholarships and awards our worthy grads have earned. Please consider helping someone else along the path to self-sufficiency.

Fiona Walker lives in Thompson Falls. She is not a parent, not a grandparent, not on Social Security – just wanting to help dreams become reality for others.