Used cell phones. Sports memorabilia. Collectible action figures. These are things you bid for on eBay. College diplomas worth thousands of dollars? These are items not as commonly found on the popular bidding website. However, Florida State alum, Stephanie Ritter, is making headlines for putting her college diploma up for auction in August. Since graduating in 2011, Ritter, like many other recent college grads, has had a hard time finding employment. Ritter was a theater major, and she told BuzzFeed that while her diploma may be worth a lot of money, “…..for a theater major, it couldn’t mean less.” Hoping to pay off her $40,000 in student loans, Ritter is trying to sell her diploma for $50,000. Ritter wrote in her listing, “I graduated from Florida State in 2011 and have yet to use my diploma, so save yourself the time and buy college experience, featuring a diploma."
As a current Florida State student, I believe that what Ritter is doing is offensive, and honestly, pretty tasteless. College is expensive, and the job market is not an easy place to be in right now; I’m not denying these facts. The thought of entering the real world is enough to make me want to lock myself in my apartment and never come out. I understand that Ritter is frustrated with her situation. No one wants to be in debt, let alone working at a job that they aren’t passionate about. However, trying to sell your diploma on the Internet, and essentially bashing the institution that so many people are proud to be students and alumni of, is a whole different ball game. It’s scapegoating.
I am not a theater major, and I don’t know much of what the major requires, so I can’t really speak to what kind of job Ritter was hoping to get immediately after college. On the other hand, I do believe a lot of what you do after college is up to you. I’m sure Ritter did not intend to graduate from FSU and work as an assistant, but at the same time I’m also sure that FSU is not entirely to blame for the circumstances Ritter has found herself in. If I was an employer, I probably wouldn’t hire her for the simple fact that she’s responding immaturely to a situation other millennials just like her are facing every day.
No one wants to graduate college having to pay back loans while searching for a job, but that’s what a lot of college grads are being forced to do. In 2013, approximately 7 in 10 graduating seniors left college with almost $30,000 in debt. It’s not a great situation to be in, but it’s a pretty common one. Whether or not Ritter actually believes someone will pay $50,000 for a piece of paper with her name on it is another issue entirely, but in my opinion, what she’s doing is childish. I’m convinced that there are more beneficial things that Ritter could be doing with her time. I hope for her sake that she figures that out -- sooner rather than later.
