Dear CEO Reyes,
I recently read your article, "An open letter to college crybabies from a CEO" during one of my study breaks in the throws of my eighth finals week as a college student. I would like to open by saying congratulations on making it to be a CEO. I've taken a look at your company's website, and I think your vision is great. You have clearly worked extremely hard to get where you are, and you deserve respect for that.
While I appreciate your sentiment, I think that you have taken some creative license in generalizing us all as "wusses." As much as I'd like to stray from name-calling as a general rule, I have to say that this one made me chuckle. I haven't heard that one since the nineties! However, I'd just like to respectfully dispute your points, so at least all of our opinions are out on the floor.
1. The Business World Doesn't Give A Damn About Me
I'm not sure that this is wrong exactly. However, I don't really care. There are thousands of students not aiming for the "business world." Take me, for example. I'm aiming for the healthcare field. I see your point of generalizing adulthood to a world of business, but that isn't what it's all about.
The rest of this section outlines that we shouldn't make excuses for missing deadlines and being late. I agree that sad excuses are not to be forgiven in the adult world. I don't think that they should be accepted in any realm of our world. Taking responsibility is something that is a part of growing up, and I don't think that a lesson from you is going to teach anyone that, unless you are the one firing the perpetrator.
2. The Only Safe Place Is My Home
OK, right again. My parents are the best. They're the most forgiving and loving people I've ever run across. I don't think any college students expect to be loved unconditionally like that by their superiors in a work environment. I would personally love to be pushed to do my very best. Isn't that why college students go to college? To come out better than before? To expand our knowledge and make ourselves more marketable to the open arms of someone such as yourself?
PS: that cover photo isn't just a cheesy quote from a TV show on my sophomore-year dorm door. It's not just that home is safe. Being with people who care about you is safe.
Not all people collecting unemployment are "sitting on their asses."
3. There's No Such Thing As "Free"
Well, of course. I think a college education will put us all well above a level where we understand that government assistance equals taxes, which yes, we pay. I've been paying and doing my own taxes since I was 14. Trust me, we aren't all full of cotton candy in college land. It's not rocket science. Yep, stuff costs money. Much appreciated explanation.
Fun fact: professional organizations all over the United States are currently deliberating on how to lessen the burden of debt from college loans for their own students. Take, for example, the American Physical Therapy Association, which currently has a motion about to go to vote to do just that.
Also, I've heard from many reliable adult sources that college debt from my generation far exceeds that of those before me. I'm not raging mad about it—it sure didn't influence my decision to go for a doctorate, but it's still something that causes many young people to opt out of college.
4. If I Don't Want to Be A Victim, Then I Shouldn't Be
"The content of who you are as a person is more important than the color of your skin or your socioeconomic background or your sex or your weight or your religious affiliation." You're right. However, some people are "bigots" and that can't be spun any way but that. If you don't care as a human being that you hurt another human being, you're not a nice person. And that's what your content would include—not being a good person. I suppose that you could say that people who get their feelings hurt are "too sensitive," or "just need to get over it."
But couldn't you say the same for yourself? If you truly believe that "selflessness is more important that selfishness," then you mean that you should do good for all people. Otherwise, your own annoyance with what is "PC" and what is not would be considered selfishness, would it not? Sensitivity training is a real thing. I highly suggest it. It won't make you any less of a CEO.
5. Success Is Hard Work
Again, I think the kids I've babysat understand that. This is not a difficult concept. We don't need to be reminded of this. Do you honestly believe that college professors tell us that we are going to make it big? No. They tell us that they don't make a lot of money themselves. So it would be extremely interesting for us to truly believe that we will be sitting on a pile of cash right out of school when the people we look up to haven't made it there yet. Sure, we all aim to make a comfortable living. However, some people do not measure success by dollars. I'm personally very excited to measure my own success by smiles for the rest of my college career. After college, I plan to measure success by the number of patients I help, not by the money that I make off of them.
I'm thrilled that I don't need to go into the real world just yet now that I'm in graduate school. However, I'll be more than ready to join the ranks of the adult world as a hardworking PT in two short years. Yes, my goal is to make the world a wonderful place. Is that a bad thing?
Sincerely,
Lexie L. Momberger
SPT
