ambitionless normality

"We want to believe. Young students try to believe in older authors, 
constituents try to believe in their Congressmen, countries try to believe in their statesmen, but they can't. Too many voices, too much scattered, illogical, ill-considered criticism. 
It's worse in the case of newspapers. Any rich, unprogressive old party with that particularly grasping, acquisitive form of mentality known as financial genius can own a paper that is intellectual meat and drink of thousands of tired, hurried men, 
men too involved in the business of modern living to swallow anything but predigested food. For two cents the voter buys his politics, prejudices, and philosophy... I have quite enough sins on my soul without putting dangerous, shallow epigrams on people's heads."

--F. Scott Fitzgerald "This Side of Paradise"

Dale E. Fridell Scholarship

Dale E. Fridell Scholarship Essay

http://www.straightforwardmedia.com/fridell/form.php

Why is the completion of a postsecondary program important to you, and what do you hope to achieve once you get a degree?

I was talking with a friend the other day about my dilema in finding the right school to obtain a bachelor's degree. "Everyone has a degree" he said. "It really doesn't matter either way. It's just a novelty piece".

This was really disconcerting to me. Is this just a piece of paper that I'm striving for? Am I committing myself to a moutain of debt when my major course of study is irrelevant anyway?

I found some answers online and others after attending my brother's college graduation. The statistics on almost every website state that, within 5 years of obtaining their degrees, college graduates are paid 30-50% more than those without a degree. Sounds good. At my brother's commencement, the speaker told us that "roughly 25% of Americans obtain a college bachelor's degree. And less than 10% earn their master's". Another great point of advice but these were just side benefits in my mind. It's not just the money involved or the prestige. It was something more important that I couldn't quite put my finger on.

I've really been thinking hard about this lately, feeling anxious about the big scheme of things and asking myself "why do you want to do this?" I am planning to attend CU Denver in the fall to start a bachelor's program in 3D animation, an expensive degree regardless of the school I chose. My brother tells me I'm dreaming and that making cartoons for a living will get me a small paycheck and even smaller job opportunities. I can't say that he is completely wrong. Animation is a field of highly skilled artists in tight competition for the handful of paying jobs.

And this is the point that made me realize my goals for college. The University will be my training grounds. By learning the skills and programs that only a College can provide, I am giving myself the great advantage of being able to apply myself and learn every facet of my career with the luxury of being able to make mistakes and learn from them. It is a tough career path ahead but with the tools I have available and the interactions with my calssmates and instructors, I will become a well-conditioned and self-confident graduate who will be able to walk right into my dream job and make it a reality.

How will a StraightForward Media Dale E. Fridell Scholarship help you meet your educational and professional goals?