She immediately spit her caramels out.

A lot of times – probably most of the time – we don’t think about those that have had to work a lot harder than us to accomplish things we take for granted – eating an orange; voting for president; getting an education.

For so many young people, going to school is a necessary evil. It is something to be suffered through on the way to reaching the “real world.”

My children are the same way. My oldest wants to be a chef, but will have to work hard to get finished with high school and then culinary school. I went to college and got my degree in journalism. My mother took care of me as a baby while my father worked his way through school so that they could have a good life for their family. Both sets of my grandparents worked long hours in factories so that their children wouldn’t have to. My great-grand parents included hardworking Midwest sharecroppers and new immigrants from Poland who sweated each day just to make sure there was food on the table at the end.

We must realize the struggles of our past to value the gifts of our future. So much work has been done to get us where we are today, who would want to let them down?

Since then, I’ve had a considerable amount of experience with many of our region’s school districts and, because of this, I’ve come to the conclusion that Rockford has some really great public schools. I have met amazing students who have big dreams for their future. I have met high schoolers who are preparing to go off to great colleges (including Ivy League!). I have met kids who are building robots that would make C-3PO jealous.

Now, I don’t want anyone to interpret this as me saying that our Rockford schools have no issues to work in. I would be one of the last to say that. But what I have seen in the last few years is a strong passion among Rockford teachers and administrators for the education of our youth. This is their hometown, too, and they want to see that our youth are ready to make it an even better place.

Bottom line, don’t write off our Rockford youth or our Rockford educators. They do some amazing things.

As I’ve said many times in the past, I can remember my first day in college when I visited the bookstore and found credit card companies ready to sign every last one of us up. I mean, it was a great deal, though. You spent 3 minutes filling out the application and, in return, you got a free shirt. FREE CLOTHES!!!

At that age, you don’t consider that that shirt may end up costing you hundreds of dollars in late fees and interest.

While it’s great seeing banks tighten their lending practices, it’s also up to us to be smart about our finances and knowing when the debt is too much for us to handle before you get into that predicament. We must remember that, in the end, it is our decision as to how we spend our money.

Much like we can’t fully blame fast food restaurants for our unhealthy lifestyles, we can’t expect to be financially successful if we continue to be financially unwise.

When I played video games in my younger days, we simply had to press the red button to shoot an astroid or jump over an alligator. Nowadays, there are at least 3 or 4 buttons to select from. In addition, if you combine them in certain orders (along with the directional arrows), you can do other maneuvers that look fearspme and relatively uncomfortable for the body.

In my own kids, I find they sometimes have trouble remembering some of the things they are taught in their classes, but they can remember a string of 15 commands that will make their video game character do some most amazing things.

Many are finding the benefits of incorporating educational materials with fun, interactive games. One such example with Junior Achievement is called JA Titan, which allows high school students to run a company and make the appropriate decisions in a video game environment. During the program they listen to a volunteer discuss certain business aspects such as price and products. Then they put these learned skills to work. There are a lot of “a-ha’s”, especially as they compete against their classmates.

Interactive activities aren’t just fun between a young person and a computer. Throw yourself in there as well. You can bring the experience to them that will allow them to USE the education they are learning. This will stick with them and help benefit them as the get older.

People constantly ask you “Have you chosen a college?,” “What’s your major going to be?,” “How are you paying for college?”

It’s scary. Sometimes it’s so scary that it’s just easier not thinking about it.

There are more than 4,000 degree granting institutions in the United States each with their specialities, democraphics, strengths and weaknesses. And their costs are going up each year.

There are exponentially greater numbers of majors to study for each with their own starting salaries and their own strengths and weaknesses.

If you’re looking for a place to start, perhaps the JA Student Center might be a great place to go. Visit http://studentcenter.ja.org and look at different careers, colleges, scholarships, and other resources for getting that job of your dreams. It’s actually easier than you think.

Description: As Chairman of Bergstrom, it is my job to pick a great
person to be the Chief Operating Officer of the company; to set the
strategic direction of the company in consultation with the other
officers; and to determine the culture of the company which will allow the
goals and objectives to be achieved.

Skills: In today’s world, a minimum of a 4 year college education with
preference for a master’s degree. A Master’s degree may be necessary to
be considered for the position the person wants. Certainly, a person
needs to have the attitude that they will stick with a challenge until
the goal(s) are met. They also need a very positive attitude and the
ability to work with a variety of personality types.

Advice: As much education as you can get. Fifteen to twenty years of
job and market experience would be necessary to get a top position.
Global experience would be necessary to get a top position.

It’s a cliche, but it is a big world out there and the world is your oyster (okay, that’s two cliches). Coming out of high school, it’s imposing to try to figure out which direction to choose and often, it’s tempting to go with the easiest path.

Here’s a tool that might be helpful. It’s called the JA Student Center… http://studentcenter.ja.org. You can find information on scholarships, colleges, careers, education financing, and other good things.

Check it out. You may find it useful.

I’m curious to hear from others on their thoughts about what’s different about schools today versus when they were younger? Were the teachers more qualified? Did the jobs require less skill?

Another question. Who else was involved in your education?

Each day, teachers spend 6 to 7 hours during the fall, winter, and spring with our youth teaching the requirements as mandated by government. Those are the building blocks and many of the teachers I have met have worked hard to provide a great foundation to their students.

This year, I have been looking at building a deck in the back of my house. I considered building it myself, but my greatest fear is getting the frame in and grounded. If that’s not done properly, then the whole thing is going to collapse during some great summertime party. I’m going to leave this to someone who can be sure to do it properly. My job will be to add the rest.

With many more hours out of school, our youth have plenty of time to add to the foundation laid by the teachers. If that foundation is good, then we as parents, families, neighbors and community members can do what we can to make sure that our youth are truly prepared for the future of their dreams.

What can we do?

There are a number of ways to help. Getting involved in the many good organizations locally that serve the youth of our community is one great way. Working with your kids at home is another.

Maybe create job shadow experiences for them. Last year, I took my oldest to Giovanni’s to get an idea of what it would be like to be a chef. It was a great eye-opening experience that allowed him to see what he has to do to get that dream job.

Raising and educating a child is a huge job that we can’t just leave to only a few. Each of us provides a unique tool that our youth can use to become a success in our global economy.

Is this really an adequate excuse for an 85-year-old millionaire (or former millionaire). With so many struggling to live on social security how can someone who made millions in his lifetime, not have saved a little bit of it for his retirement?

In JA’s first grade programs, we teach the differences between needs and wants and the purpose of savings. Again, this is a first grade lesson.

Most of us will not become millionaires, but all of us will come to a time when we retire or can no longer work. We must not only prepare ourselves for that day, but also teach our kids the purpose of savings. Ask your children if they want a video game today or a car tomorrow? A car today or college tomorrow? It’s all about the priority of needs and wants.

Scary thought.

For someone making $7 an hour at the college book store or $4 an hour plus tips at a local restaurant, a number like that can be quite daunting. Considering the interest rates for those credit cards that college students qualify for are not all that great, the minimum payment could be rather considerable on such a small income.

I’ll be the last person to say that we should teach our youth that all credit cards are bad. Emergencies happen. Books are needed. Sometimes the car needs a repair. But we must teach our youth, and probably even ourselves, the difference between needs and wants. The more you spend your money earlier on wants, the less you will later have for needs.

Kids learn from example. What are you teaching yours?