Donna, the mother of a recent college graduate who is now unemployed and in debt, believes the cultural expectation that everyone must go to college after high school is misguided and harmful. She thinks career paths like trade schools or job experience are better options for most people to prepare for a career. Donna feels her daughter would have been better served pursuing a culinary degree instead of a traditional college path. She wants an alternative presented to high school students that doesn't involve large debt and uncertain job prospects after graduation.

1. Stakeholder:
Donna, the mother of a recent
college graduate. Her daughter
went to college, got a degree,
and did NOT get a job.
college grad:
Phoebe--now considering
culinaey school

2. Say:
Some people have to go to college to get their career: teach-
ers, lawyers or doctors, for example. They should stick
with the school to work.
Some people should go work a crummy job and see what
that’s like because it could help them focus.
Others should go to trade school for a year or two years
and then have a trade like dental hygienist.
There is pressure and cultural expectations that you
must go to college--she felt that pressure and she pressured
her daughter.
But it’s very expensive and you get out with
a lot of debt.
College education doesn’t open as many doors as
it used to.
There are so many free courses online, you don’t need col-
lege to get a liberal arts education
Donna doesn’t like proprietary schools. She thinks they
take advantage and prey upon kids who don’t have the
means.
College offers no guarantees.
She said if the parents are wealthy, then maybe it’s OK to
go to college without a clear career path. For most people,
it’s not.
Do
No oppor-
tunity to do

3. Think:
I think that Donna doesn’t think that college served her or her
daughter well, and doesn’t think that the school to work path is
the best because of all the debt that is often the result of taking
that path.
Donna thinks that college has its merits, but it is not the best
way to get a job for most people. She thinks either trade
schools or job experience are better ways to prepare for a career.
Donna thinks this school to work pathway will change. She
thinks people would not be as likely to go to college if there
wasn’t this strongly intrenched idea that this is what you do--you
go to college, get a degree, and go to work. This is a cultural belief
that is no longer useful as it causes a lot of debt and doesn’t al-
ways end up with a career or a good job.

4. Feel:
I think Donna feels that with proprietary schools there is abuse and
kids are duped into going to those schools when they’d be better off
at a trade school.
I think she feels this “myth” that college is the next step after high
school to a good career should be shattered and something more
useful should be communicated to young people in high school.
I think Donna wishes that school to work wasn’t seen by many as
the only path. I think she feels that her daughter would have been
better off going to a trade culinary school.

5. Problem statement:
High school grads need a career path that is affordable and practical.
Stakeholder
Mother of a recent
college grad who has
debt and no job
Need
Needs her daughter
to get a good job
Insight
School to work didn’t
work for Phoebe who
has no career and lots
of debt.