By Phil Shahbaz, Pastor of Community Life
In 1992, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I would dress as warmly as possible. I would wear two jackets, two pairs of socks, thick leather gloves, an over-sized scarf, and my well-worn, full-face, motorcycle helmet. I would strap my backpack on the rear of my Honda 150, warm up the engine, and quickly enter the dense fog. My departure time was always 5:30 a.m., it was always below 40 degrees outside, and the 30-mile drive on Oakdale Road through the Central California countryside was always dark and quiet; the same way I saw my life. I was 17 years old at the time and making my way towards Merced Community College. I may not have made that drive if I knew that only roughly 20% of students who go to community college are able to graduate from a four-year university.
As soon as your child receives their high school diploma, the odds are immediately stacked against them. It was the same for me. I graduated from high school with a 2.8 GPA. I did not know what I wanted to do with my life and my parents wouldn’t let me leave home anyway. Community college seemed to be the best option; I thought that I had no other options. My experience at Merced College was as you might expect: disconnected instructors, no friends, thousands of students fighting for classes, thousands of students attending because they also had no other options. I found myself directionless and desperate to leave town in search of a fresh start. Behind my parents back, I applied to two different colleges that had sent me generic materials: Point Loma University in San Diego, and Whitworth College in Spokane, WA. I filled out my own financial aid forms and made my own contact with counselors at the prospective schools. To my surprise, I was accepted by both schools. Finally, I found the courage to present my acceptance letters to my parents. As I presented the letters, I kindly asked them, “Will you please let me leave?” They finally understood and conceded to help me sort out the details. I chose the school in Spokane simply and only because it was the furthest away from Turlock.
The decision I made to leave to go to Spokane was the single most important and life-changing decision I have ever made. I had no clue that my likelihood of graduating college went from 20% to 77%. I had no clue that I would receive an education of the mind and the heart, an education that would fuse my Christian faith with what I would learn in the class room. I had no clue that I would learn how to critically think, problem-solve, resolve conflict, create a budget, and program a large-scale event due to my experiences outside the classroom, not inside. Finally, I had no clue that I would create relationships so dynamic and so meaningful that we would stand at each other’s weddings, more then 18 years later.
If your son or daughter has expressed interest in going to a private Christian college, that desire is likely a blessing in disguise. It certainly was for my parents. Typically, the negatives for a decision such as this rise to the surface quickly: 1) “We can’t afford it,” 2) “I won’t let you take out loans and start your career in debt,” 3) “There’s no reason to leave home,” and 4) “I’m not paying $30,000 a year to send you to a Christian camp.” These are valid reasons. These are also reasons that are firmly linked to finances.
However, if you believe our God is bigger than your pocketbook, if you believe that our God loves your child more than you do, and if you believe that our God does indeed place our greatest desires into our hearts for a purpose, then you must believe that a Christian college education could be worth it. Let me explain…
I wrote earlier that the graduation rate for students who begin at a community college is roughly 20%. This is for a variety of reasons: 1) It is difficult to get classes, 2) Class sizes are often very large, 3) Instructors rarely take an interest in student’s lives, 4) Counselors often do not take a personal interest in your life and move you through as quickly as possible, 5) Involvement with the college is limited to only time spent in class, 6) It is difficult to make friends with students who you only see in class, 7) It is difficult to find friends who love Jesus as you do, and 8) Living at home separates you from the college experience.
Currently, the graduation rate for students who attend Chaffey College is 21%, 28% for Mt. SAC, 26% for Citrus College, and even worse for some of our local four-year universities. Believe it or not, the graduation rate at Cal State San Bernardino is 12%, Cal State Fullerton is 16%, and Cal Poly Pomona is 15%. Conversely, the graduation rates at some of our local private Christian schools are higher: Biola University is 51%, Azusa Pacific is 55%, and Westmont College is an amazing 73%.
The reason for the difference between these graduation rates parallel the center of my experience at Whitworth College: 1) My class sizes were small, my professors knew my name, they often came to my residence hall or invited me to their home to help me with my homework, and many of my former professors contact me to this day, just to see how I’m doing. 2) Everything I learned in the classroom was simultaneously measured against my faith in Jesus – faith and academic learning always walked hand-in-hand. 3) My counselors knew my name, spent time with me, and helped me find the major(s) that were right for me. 4) Because I lived on campus, I was involved in every facet of student life, from intramural sports to theatre, from student government to fishing trips. Living on campus put me squarely in the center of an entire community of students that was living, learning, and growing in our faith together. I had to learn how to get along with a roommate, I had to learn how to wake myself up in the morning, and I had to learn to make friends. With no family support from home, we were eager to create friendships, study together, cook dinner together, and lean on one another in difficult times. We became more than friends, we became brothers and sisters that still support one another well into our 30s. 5) Chapel (three days a week). And 6) my grades went up because I understood that this experience cost money and had to be valued. My grades also went up because my new friendships meant so much to me, that I couldn’t bear to be kicked out due to poor grades.
If your son or daughter is currently out of high school and struggling with school, their faith, or their relationship with you, it is likely that they are missing many of the things I wrote about above. In summation, my Christian college experience gave me purpose, value, and direction, most of which were achieved outside of the classroom. I also learned to appreciate my parents in a profound way. Nothing makes you value your parents like being away from them for six months, especially mom’s cooking!
At this point, you may still be wondering how your child will afford this experience. It’s a valid question. My tuition at Whitworth College was $18,000 my first year, and increased 10-15% each additional year. Each year, my parents were able to contribute about $4,000. I received about $4,000 in scholarship funds my first year, which increased each year as my grades and involvement in campus increased. And I received about $4,000 in work-study funds (work on campus in exchange for tuition). I left Spokane with close to $20,000 in student loans, but my undergraduate experience prepared me for graduate school so much so that I went on to receive a master’s degree on full scholarship. Upon receiving my master’s, I was able to land a professional job and pay off all of my loans in 13 months. Looking back, I was scared to take out those loans. I was foolish to not realize that a God who loves me probably thought, “$20,000? No problem.” After all, if I knew that the average college graduate earned $750,000 more over their lifetime then a non-grad, I would not have worried.
Was I smarter than your son or daughter when I was 19 years old? No way. Actually, I don’t consider myself to be smart at all. My brain actually moves very slow. The difference is that my heart got involved. If a person’s heart is involved, it’s difficult to slow them down. My Christian college experience got my heart involved and taught me how to keep it involved.
If your child is bringing up the idea of going to a Christian college, help them at least explore the possibility. If they are not, be sure to send them to Mosaic College Group in the Lower Garage at 7 p.m. on Thursday nights. I will do my best to give them the same kind of attention and affection my professors at Whitworth gave me.
"What does The Game of Life hold for you?" This is the question posed by the popular board game that gives you the opportunity to earn degrees, make money, lose money, get married, luck into things, and suffer losses. But in real life, what is the meaning of it all?
