A good piece of advice for our younger brothers.

This is just some general advice about college versus exploring other career options that do not require a college degree.I am definitely not criticizing people who go to college, all the power to you especially if your chosen career requires it!! I just think it’s important to remember you can be successful without a college degree. There are many paths to success, and this is mine.

When I graduated high school last year around this time, I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do but I knew for sure that I did not want to go to college and accrue a massive amount of debt unless I was absolutely sure whatever schooling I might get would almost positively ensure a good job to pay that off and was absolutely something I would be passionate about/enjoy. My mom has a massive amount of debt still from when she graduated college in 1999 and at this point she’ll probably never get to fully retire because of it. After her experience with college I did not want to immediately jump on the 4 year degree band wagon unless I explored some other options first.

I decided to explore stuff that interested me, first sustainable agriculture. I tried to get into a few internships but they didn’t wind up working out and it takes a lot of work to just be somewhat successful in agriculture so I decided to check out massage therapy. Before checking out programs near me I knew from doing research that massage therapists are in high demand in my area, the job future looked overall very bright as more people are turning to alternative medicine. I also knew the average pay is great—even incredible depending on what avenue of massage therapy you might specialize in. I also knew I would probably enjoy helping people and I’ve always had an interest in holistic health. So I toured the school near me, their 8 month program was only going to cost 16,000. Another huge bonus!! I loved what I saw of the program and the teachers I met and signed up that day. Best decision I’ve ever made.

I have since finished the program, I knew I was going to probably like massage therapy but I LOVE it now. It absolutely my passion and I couldn’t imagine doing anything else. One week after finishing the program I had FOUR interviews lined up, and I was barely even trying to find a job. I now have a wonderful job at an amazing spa and I’m gonna start saving up for my first car and hopefully by the end of this year I have a tentative goal to move out of my parents house. I have no school debt thanks to my grandmother’s small college fund that covered most of my schooling, and I have a job that I love. All thanks to just doing a little research and exploring a few other options before going straight to a regular college.

College is a fantastic option for MANY people out there, but just remember it is not the only option. Now good luck to all you high school graduates out there this year!! You got this, play it smart, do research, and figure out your life, your passions, and your interests a little before you set your course into the next part of your adventure in life and trust me you’ll probably be a lot better off.