Derrick R.
$1,000 Resolve to Evolve Scholarship Winner - Junior
As our nation continues to grow in population as well as in low paying jobs, we are shown more and more the effects of having a college degree. College is a large investment all based on the idea that the individual paying for such a high priced education will ultimately be able to go further in his/her career than the average individual. Knowing how expensive college already is, we are left with the question of whether or not to increase the minimum wage to $15. Although the idea of a wage increase sounds good in theory, it is my strong belief that minimum wage should remain the same for the following reasons; the value of a college degree would be lowered, an economic backlash would be eminent, and people would no longer be encouraged to leap beyond mediocrity.
At this moment in time, citizens who attend college are able to use the degree they earned to get a better job. There are many jobs that require the worker to have the responsibility of keeping a patient or client alive, and some starting positions for these jobs have low pay. For example, obtaining a medical degree to become a Certified Nursing Assistant can take years. Despite the amount of work it takes to receive certification, the pay can range anywhere from $10-$15 on average. Jobs as CNAs are typically used as stepping stones for later success, but increasing the minimum wage of unskilled workers would undermine the work of individuals in such professions.
If a hardworking college student has poured thousands and thousands of dollars into their education to receive a starter job with high responsibility, then in what way would it be fair for someone with an easier job to receive the same pay? If people are able to drop out of high school and still receive a great minimum pay, then a college degree will ultimately hold little to no value. Although a high minimum wage to all Americans may sound amazing, it would greatly undermine the value of a high education. In addition to this, overpaying citizens would have great economic backlash.
The majority of individuals who support the minimum wage being raised to $15 fail to consider the fact that inflation and unemployment could possibly take place shortly after the proposed national pay increase is put into effect. The economic backlash will be examined in two parts: employment and inflation. As the majority of citizens under a capitalistic economy know, large companies hate to lose profits. For example, if a company has a budget of $200,000 to spend on labor in a city, and the price of labor goes up, then the company would ultimately choose to fire people in an effort to not exceed their budget. Now imagine this same situation on a countrywide scale. By making the decision to fire many workers, the unemployment would rise in the U.S. According to Forbes Magazine, an increase in minimum wage would lead to a 1-3 percent decrease in employment throughout the country. Even if companies did choose to keep laborers, then the value of the USD would ultimately go down due to inflation from hiring too many workers countrywide. When the dollar value is cut in half the prices of everyday items will go up. Unaffordable everyday items would cause America to be back in the same disposition of trying to help struggling citizens. Although a higher minimum wage would seem to help aspiring college students, the majority of people in the country would be negatively affected in the long run. Even if college costs stay the same when minimum wage increases, the problem would then become trying to afford everyday items needed to live while attending school.
The final supporting reason to keep the minimum wage at the same rate is to not discourage people to leap beyond the boundaries of being average. If a high school student is contemplating whether or not to drop out of high school then a minimum wage law could actually make or break his/her decision. If the minimum wage law is set to a wage that allows an individual to live just fine, then what reason is there to attend college? The reason for a college education is to promote the learning of those who wish to leap beyond mediocrity. In what way would rewarding individuals who have chosen to not work through obstacles be beneficial to promoting high achievement within Americans? The majority of people in low skilled jobs are either teens currently in high school or people who did not attend college. There are many individuals who are actually motivated to try to escape their minimum wage jobs due to the fact of how terrible the pay is. But if everyone is given the ability to remain perfectly fine throughout their lives without an ounce of hard work, then this will invite an attitude of complacency amongst Americans. Increasing the minimum wage would only discourage hard work in the long run.
In conclusions Americans should be encouraged to work harder, instead of being handed benefits. Minimum wage increase can ultimately be seen as bad.
Donald Trump and Barrack Obama are both major names of people in our society that achieved a form of success by attending college at some point in their life. If these individuals had not gone to college, however, their paths in life would have been very different. College can be a game changer in anyone’s life, and college develops amazing habits that are needed to achieve goals. College is important to me because of the discipline it builds, and the overall knowledge that can be gained from attending a university.
Throughout my years in high school I have maintained great grades, participated in extracurricular activities, and led community events to help those in need. I am slowly realizing that college costs will be a larger obstacle than grades in my case. I live in a regular middle-class family with my father who has fought and beat cancer twice, and now works two jobs, despite his declining health. By seeing a prime example of working hard, I have been inspired to do whatever it takes to become a pro bono lawyer. My largest life obstacle is finding a way to afford college, and by earning a degree my dreams practicing law will become a reality.