For decades, Americans have been told that the only way to achieve a good career and financial success is to go to college. A college degree is the ticket to wealth and the fulfillment of the American dream. Successful kids graduated from high school and enrolled in college, and those who didn’t make it chose careers in construction, plumbing, or mechanics.
That’s what I believed. Like countless other parents, I was convinced that a traditional four-year college degree was the definitive path to success. This belief was rooted in the idea that fields like law, medicine, or business were the gold standard for success. I wanted my children to succeed, so I pushed them in that direction.
My son Patton graduated from St. Andrew’s Episcopal School and the University of Mississippi with degrees in English and business and planned to go to law school. He made all the “right” choices. At least, until he returned from a mission trip to Haiti and announced that instead of going to law school, he was going to be a plumber.
To say my husband and I were disappointed would be an understatement. Our son, who we had worked hard to educate and was on track to become a lawyer, was going to be a plumber? In our eyes, he was no longer on the “right” path, throwing away what would have otherwise set him up for success.
But he did not let himself be discouraged. The friendships and experiences he gained from this mission trip to Haiti changed his life and set him on a new path. He had decided and was determined that his future lay in the plumbing business. This decision was undoubtedly the best of his life.
Today, he owns a growing, successful company that provides essential services to families and businesses throughout Mississippi and pays top wages to his 13 employees, including his younger brother, Crockett. He has a great life with his wife and children and has had the opportunity to use his entrepreneurial spirit to start other ventures as well. I couldn’t be more proud of my two sons.
Patton’s story underscores the importance of parents and others who influence students’ decision-making to understand that real opportunities exist in skilled careers. Technical degrees and the success they bring have been undervalued by parents and our communities for years. I’m committed to helping more parents – as a mother and as a state representative – understand that these are valuable jobs, not dirty jobs.
The landscape of our economy is evolving. Sectors like manufacturing, construction, energy, healthcare, information technology and transportation logistics are not only critical—they form the foundation of our nation’s infrastructure and daily operations. Yet these industries often suffer from significant shortages of skilled workers. This gap presents both a challenge and an opportunity. As parents, we must recognize and support the potential for success and fulfillment in these important professions.
If we want to continue to have a growing economy and thriving communities, we need to look at and talk about these areas differently. Efforts like the Skills Foundation’s Skills That Pay campaign and Mississippi’s career coaching programs show that Mississippi is taking these challenges seriously and is working to get the economy back on track by encouraging more young Mississippians to pursue high-skilled career opportunities.
The reality is that while the majority of Mississippi students attend college after high school, less than a third earn a college degree. Of those who do graduate, a significant number will work in fields that are not consistent with what they studied. To change this, we need to stop asking our children where they want to go to college and start asking them what they want to do in life.
As parents, we shouldn’t just accept our children’s decisions to pursue engineering careers – we should encourage and celebrate them. I know from personal experience that it can be disheartening to see your child deviate from the path you set out for them and believed to be the “right” one, but the data shows that it is one of the best decisions they can make.
I want to see more Mississippi children succeed like Patton. That gives more Mississippians the chance to provide for themselves and their families. That helps our communities grow and thrive. And it helps Mississippi reach the economic and social potential we all know it can achieve.
Jill Ford, a Madison resident, represents the 73rd District in the Mississippi House of Representatives. She has worked as a real estate agent in her community for 30 years.
