Educating the Privileged?

Gene Nichol's recently quoted comment to the Daily Press (which was actually published in August of 2005) that William and Mary is "educating the privileged," provoked a number of responses from alumni who are requesting clarification as to the meaning of the word "prvileged." (For such a sweeping generality, that seems like a fair request.) Some sample comments follow.

As for educating the privileged, Nichol's sweeping generalization hit home for me, but not in a way he imagines. On both sides of my family, my father was the first and only one to go to college. As the son of Hungarian immigrants who never went to high school, he earned an appointment to USNA, so it was free---sort of : he did pay it back with 23 years of US Marine Corps service.

In my generation, my siblings and I are the only ones who went to college and that is primarily because our father died very young, and we received Soc Sec benefits, although we were always encouraged to think about going to college somewhere. I was told to pick a state school because nothing else was affordable. I also worked during college and was lucky enough to get an H. Ross Perot Scholarship for four years. I did not owe anybody any money when I finished, but that was born of hard work and looking for opportunities. If that is privileged, then move over, Caroline Kennedy, because we are peers.

I do feel privileged to be a W&M alumna, twice over, thank you. But Nichol wouldn't know it.

Karla Bruno
Class of '81 and '92

It was a privilege to attend William and Mary. Our family, including grandparents, were all Virginians. My dad managed a small paint contracting business. My mom was June Cleaver, Harriet Nelson, and Donna (Reed) Stone all rolled into one. One income, no savings, and four baby boomers. Our wealth was evidenced in acts of love, kindness, and sacrifice. I was the oldest and first in my family – either side - to graduate from college. I used money I’d made as a youngster delivering newspapers; money from summer construction jobs; and money from a job my senior year building picnic tables at a new York County campground to help pay my tuition. I finished in 1972. My brother finished at UR in ’74 – the same way. Likewise, the older of my two sisters worked her way thru Bridgewater graduating in ’77. My younger sister followed me to W&M – receiving a scholarship, serving as an RA, and working summers. She finished in 1980. We were “privileged” and blessed to have parents who loved us, sacrificed for us, and inspired us – and who were willing to take on a second mortgage to finance our college educations.

Could William and Mary’s student body be more economically and socially diverse? Absolutely. Is William and Mary only educating “the privileged”? Absolutely not. It remains a bargain - a public institution with one of the lowest price tags of all the four-year public schools in the Commonwealth – and the diploma – PRICELESS!

Robert G. Jones, Class of '72

As I prepare to enter the hospital tomorrow for spinal injections tomorrow, I really need to inquire to Gene Nichol about the classification of "educating the privileged". Yes, I consider myself very privileged to have been able to attend the College and Mary. My grandfathers both had only eighth grade educations. I am the oldest and the first person in my mother's family to graduate from college, my father was the first in his family. My mother's family was so abjectly poor, during the depression, that they did not have either a tree or gifts at Christmas. My parents both worked to put both my brother and I through William and Mary simultaneously. When cash became short, my father requested that I transfer to the University of Colorado (I was an out of state student). Rather than succumb, I borrowed money from my uncle (a plumber). I worked from age 16 to 22 as a waitress in order to make as much money as possible to finance my education. Some summers I actually worked 16 hours days. My back and spine are the evidence of this physical toil. However, I did not waiver from the goal and paid my uncle back with the money from my first job. The life I lead is a direct result of this sacrifice, hard work, and the superior education I received at William and Mary. I am multi-racial and multi-ethnic (factors that I did not divulge on my college application). It would appear that Mr. Nichol is really the one with bias and he is viewing the student body, college community and the alumni through pre-judged eyes.

(I remain anonymous to protect a family member. After April 2007 I will be happy to reveal my name.)

More to come.