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“We have not even come close to tapping the potential of this country”, said Michael Crow, President of Arizona State University (ASU), at the first annual The Atlantic Education Summit this week. Educational opportunity was the common theme during his talk, and Crow spoke passionately about his university’s attempts to shift what education means in the United States. The skyrocketing cost of college tuition was discussed as an economic, cultural, and psychological barrier keeping many people from pursuing higher education. Crow and ASU are working relentlessly to restructure education for the changing face of America. As an undergraduate student, the panel was an inspirational look into improving educational access.

Touching on college rankings, Crow discussed how schools are not ranked on outcomes like student learning, critical thinking skills, real-world experience, and character development of those who graduate. Instead, school rankings are based inputs such as the caliber of admitted students. College admissions are not an apples-to-apples game, and Crow encouraged high school students not to take these types of college rankings to heart. Instead, Crow suggested high school students apply to college based on which schools offer programs they are passionate about at a price that fits their needs.

The second half of the session focused on the unique partnership between ASU and Starbucks, and the opportunities it creates for Starbucks employees to go back to school for free. For Mary Ham, a Starbucks manager and single mother in Virginia, the program is a life changing opportunity. She spoke of her desire to continue to excel and set an example for her children. The crippling effects of accumulated student loans were also discussed during this part of the panel. The solution that ASU and Starbucks offer is giving adults a debt-free way to return to school – a promising model for many Americans families.

I hope more people learn about this opportunity and take advantage of a chance to go back to school debt-free, and more universities follow ASU’s lead in implementing these types of educational opportunities. When Mary Ham spoke of the encouragement she received from her ASU counselors, I was reminded of my own faculty advisors who have guided me during my undergraduate career. These types of resources are invaluable, especially for nontraditional or economically disadvantaged students. Though education for all is a tall order, with programs like that implemented by ASU, it is an attainable goal for creating more educational opportunities and helping people achieve their full potential.

Emma Dodson, CER Intern