I think it is safe to say that most people who end up as college grads get a little further along in life than those without a degree on average.  I think it is also safe to say that college grads will likely get a little more out of life than most of those who are not.  This may be in the form of being in management, but regardless of the "power" aspect one of the main driving motivators of going to school is money, the green back, the almighty dollar, Benjamin's, C-notes, payola, cash, big ones, smackers, and various other slang terminologies.  And of course there are the other, less tangible assets you may have such as knowledge and skills.  This brings to question the ethical dilemma of social responsibility towards those less fortunate than ourselves.  Specifically speaking, a charitable heart.

In my opinion there are those who are the light of the world and those who are in the dark.  Darkness is not the opposite of light, only the absence of it.  For those of us who only watch out for #1 and take and take but never give back, you are in darkness; don't be offended, that was me not too long ago.  I know this sounds preachy but stick with me for a moment and I will clarify. 

As someone who has gone to school and who will likely be rewarded for your efforts, you can compound your success and personal gratification by giving and being charitable.  When you are in a position to help others and you do, you become one of those people who actually make a difference in this world, no matter how tiny, you become one of those who make the world a "good" place to be for the time.  I know that MBA students are generally regarded as being about as warm as a law student and about as generous as, well, a law student.  In other words, when you study about profits, margins, the bottom line, time value and such catch phrases as "human capital" it can give you something of a jaded view of money.  Almost as if the purpose of life is money, we should get as much as we can and keep all that we get.  What a hollow life, what a drain on society those kinds of people become.  Look at the mindset of those Enron MBAs and Arthur Anderson CPAs, would you say that they kept things in perspective or whored out their humanitarianism in the name of an extra buck?

I'm not talking about "doing the right thing", I'm talking about going out and "doing a good thing".  There is a difference, one is proactive one is reactive.  Doing the right thing means you go about your life normally and do the right thing when faced with a choice to.  Doing a good thing means that you perceive or seek out a need and attempt to meet it.  This could be working in a local homeless shelter, buying toys for the local orphanage on Christmas, dressing up like a clown and making a general ass of yourself at a children's hospital handing out balloons, donating blood, becoming a stem cell donor, giving to the Red Cross, etc.  Try to set a social example in your community.  When you become successful, as I am sure you will if you are not already, take advantage of a fuller life, get involved and use your success, your talents, your skills and your knowledge to become a beacon of light, a pillar of society no matter how small.  Try it out, start off small, try doing one charitable thing a week for one month, that's 4 things total, and see how it feels.  Will it make you feel more successful, like your life and success has a little more meaning, like you are setting a good example for those around you (and your kids)?  I think it will.

Cheers

---Cajun