Politics & Government

Greenbelter Tells NPR No Diploma Doesn't Mean No Job

Northwest High dropout, Greenbelt resident tells NPR about his work experiences without a high school diploma.

Greenbelt resident Byron Young spoke on NPR's On Point program as a musician, manager at a retail store and administrator with a government contractor — yet a high school dropout.

The program addressed President Obama's State of the Union pledge to stem dropouts by requiring students to stay in school until they had earned their diplomas or turned 18.

Radio host Tom Ashburn, moderator of On Point took the the airwaves with a varied panel asking how the president might reduce the drop out rate. Young spoke from the perspective of a dropout who stopped going to school at age 16 in 2002.

Young's presence on the show, along with Princeton economics of education professor Cecilia Rouse and Chicago Public High School Principal Peggy Korellis, added a twist to the debate, which often progresses under the assumption that dropping out inherently leads to diminished opportunities.

However, despite making a comfortable life for himself, Young admitted that if he could do it over, he'd have stayed in school.

"It would help, honestly, if the legal age was 18," Young said on the show. "I have missed some opportunities."

Listen to the entire show here, or download the podcast here.


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