Final Blog. Wait, Wait. class matters?

The only indicator that the article that we have that relates to class these days are how we rank to one another, according to the New York Times article. We can now easily hide our class by what we wear. The way that it relates to social injustice is that there is a great distance between the rich and poor. mainly because of the opportunities that arise in the upper fifth compared to the lower fifth. Although the upper fifth has earned the opportunities to do well, where the injustice happens is that the lower fifth dose have the right to get a shot at those opportunities.
In the article there is a interactive scale that ranks the average percentile. When I did this I made my assumptions and here they are: I graduated today from Gonzaga University with my bachelors in civil engineering, with a entry level engineering gig. This would be my ranking, note that this is my best case scenario:
• Occupation - Civil Engineering: 76th percentile
• Education - Bachelors - 91st percentile
• Income - Up to $50,000 a year - 69th percentile
• Wealth- 5,000 to 10,000 a year 29th percentile
• Average -66th percentile
What really brings my average up is my education. Although having a degree from Gonzaga University is not an guarantee that I will be well off. However, it does give me a great opportunity that I would be foolish to not and try and (take over the world) do the best possible job for myself.
I have made many jokes about me being at Gonzaga University and myself, that the suit that accepted my application should was on the way out. However, I am very grateful for my opportunity. My father as a pair of masters from the University of Washington, and my mom has her pair of bachelors from Washington State University (My house is very interesting when the Apple Cup happens). I am clearly standing on the shoulders of giants for my education.
When I first started my college career at Cascadia Community College, I took a class called "College 101- College Strategies." In this class we went over some basic "welcome to college" ideas. My professor, said one thing that has stayed with me is, "Whatever you do, get a bachelors degree. Any degree. My bachelors degree is in English, my masters is in Celtic Catholic Studies, and my doctorate is in the same field. But just having a bachelors has set me up for greatness. When I interview for a job and see the list of qualifications I can clearly state that I have those skills because I have a degree. Also it does not matter qualifications... except for becoming a engineering I kind of shot myself in the foot for that." The main reason that I tell this story that it is the best way I can describe how much education matters in our society. I only hope that I can have an edge on my application and my interviewer is Gonzaga Bulldog fan.
In my service learning, I worked at WCCC, in the after school program. In terms of class, they were truly in the lower percentiles of class. However, the children were did not act like they were in a lower class family. Looking back on my childhood, I always acted just wanted to play and have a good time. I did not understand how much money 50,000 dollars was. I am pretty sure that I have never seen 300 dollars in one place until I was sixteen, where I gathered up donations for the newly founded Archbishop Murphy High School wrestling team.
When we grow up we only know the adjectives that correspond to an income. The only two class identifiers that we have as a kid that are to quantify money is: rich and poor. When we are children we really do not know the different levels. I was neither rich nor poor, my family is a true middle class. So I was completely in the dark about who was rich and who was poor. I feel that the children that I was participating know that they are on the poor side of the class scale than most.
So what does this mean. For me class is still a allusion, it does not exist. As long you are not homeless, we are fighting for our greatness. Sometime being born in the correct family helps, however, that should not be the only factor.


Thanks for the great semester.
-Giles