Lots of college

I attended a church-run college first. My husband attended a state university in Pennsylvania, and later I took a semester there, as well. He went to another state university in Ohio for his MBA. I finished my associates degree online from a state community college in New Mexico. He earned his PhD from Capella University, a private university that runs entirely online except for two weeks in person every year. Capella holds graduation ceremonies in various locations at different times, so he chose to walk the stage in Minneapolis, Minnesota, two hours from our home in northern Wisconsin.

Our eldest son took some college classes and then went into the military. They trained him. Our eldest daughter took enough college classes to earn her associates degree by age 17, a month before her homeschool graduation. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree at Southern Virginia University, a religious school. She then came home and earned a second bachelor’s degree at the University of St. Francis, where my husband taught. Our second son took a semester at the University of St. Francis and then went on a two year mission for our church. When he returned from his mission in Utah, he had residency there and then a girlfriend, so he turned around and moved back there for school. He earned his bachelors and then his masters at Utah State University. His wife earned her masters at the same time. Our second and third daughters both graduated from the University of St. Francis.

We have two children remaining. College has been a blessing to us. I want to encourage my last two to learn as much as they can. But I’m no longer sure college is the best place for learning. There’s a dichotomy between what must be learned to function in specific fields, and what should be learned to make a well-rounded person. How to justify the investment of time, energy, and loan money? Learning is no longer restricted to discrete silos on well-manicured campuses. As well it should not be.