The Pen that Changed My Life

Rick Payette/Flickr

A month ago, I went to a job fair. A man handed me a pen and said he could get me into college for free. I filled out all the paperwork and am waiting for a confirmation letter from the University of the District of Columbia, which should take about a month. I hope to start at UDC on Jan. 16.

It’s funny how something like a pen can change everything for you.

A report a decade ago found there were more black men in jail than in college. More recent statistics are a little more hopeful, showing that in 2010, more than 1.2 million black men were enrolled in higher education, compared with 841,000 serving time. Still, it’s sad to think about all those wasted years and lives. I encourage all black men and women and homeless people to consider college as a way out of breaking the poverty cycle.

Find something you like doing. There is probably a course for you. I strongly believe that education is the key to our new world. And remember, help the homeless help themselves by buying Street Sense newspaper. Please tell a friend. P.S. Thank you, Brendan and Gretta.


Issues |Education


Region |Washington DC

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