Kent State University - Chestnut Burr Yearbook (Kent, OH)

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What' diploma 2 . iw, college worth? .1-Q, , 99 O99 These days it ain't no ticket to Easy Street RADUATION. GETTING a degree that leads to better skills, better jobs, better pay. At least, that's what many of us believe. But for a great number of Kent graduates that dream has not yet become reality. Jobs in their chosen field of study have been impossible to find or unsuitable once found. And so the graduate wanders into a different job, one that's available or more desirable, and leaves his training and degree behind him. Why the job shift? Sometimes it's necessity, sometimes disillusionment. sometimes opportunity. John Fischer graduated cum laude from KSU in 1971 with a BA. in anthropology and is currently a Volkswagen mechanic at European Car Service in Akron. Story by Laura Nagy and David Shaffer I had wanted to be an archaeologist ever since I could spell the word. It always fascinated me. When I started school in the '60s, whatever field you went into there was no doubt about your getting ajobf' But there were no jobs for anthropologists without post-graduate work, and though John was admitted to the graduate schools to which he applied, no financial aid was available. So he got a job pumping gas. It was on his first journey into the mechanic's world that he learned to work on VWs, and his specialized skills kept the bills paid for a time. It turned into a way I could make a buck. It was something I could learn to do and I could do it fairly well. lSee next page.l

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lContinued from page 12.l Then came a frustrating position as a social worker with the University Year for Action at KSU. John saw the youths at the Fairfield School for Boys in Lancaster as victims of an inefficient state system. The way the juvenile system in Ohio is constructed, there can be no results with these kids. Fixing VWs has much better results than social work. It was back to the grease pits. A stint in Cleveland and one in Ann Arbor preceded a move back to Kent. Finally John landed at the Akron shop where he now works. It's hard. it's dirty and the hours are long. but when I'm done I can see what I've done and it works. But John hasn't left the academic world behindg in fact, he made a return to it in winter of '74 as a KSU graduate student in anthropology. I wanted to use my head again, he said. I like school. There isn't much career motivation in my continuing school. In the past five years there were 1,400 Ph. Ds gradu- ated in anthropology and only 200 jobs available. But, he added, my job lets me afford my most expen- sive hobby-graduate school. For the time being, John will continue to fix VWs, read and drink beer. He does admit that his goal still is to be a world famous archaeologist working in a warmer climate, like Mexico. And, he said, I would also like to get up one morning and be able to grab my steering wheel and not get grease on my hands. Jtlllll P. Fiscllel' lirzuly Luke. Ohio l'ersou:iI Proliessionanl Objectix es Lducation Xclueiements I' x perieoce IO74 to I'-975 l973 N72 l97l Xclix ilics liuckgrountl Re lie re nces JOB RI-SUNII1 lliiorcetl 26 yours old Xrcliueologist und Instructor ot' anthropology ut the univers leiel l97l grzidtuite ol' Kent State University Cum Laude in -Xntluopology G PA. 34 Currently working towards NIA. in Antliropology at KSU, National Nlerit Scholar l9bo 'Xczideuiic Scholarship Otterbein College IQ66-67 Phi Eta Sigma Honorary N67 VIN'-Porsche Xiechauiic I-.uropeau Car Seriice. -Xlsron. Ohio Nlecliunic. Noulrs Xrco in Kent. Ohio Social liorker. Fairfield School for Boys in Luncuster, Ohio Mechanic. Wugen-Werke in Ann Arbor. Nlichigzui. xIOL'Il1lllIk'. Vogiais Imports in Kent. Ohio Station Xttendxuit. Nerings in Kent. Ohio. Pliotogrxiplii. reading. liau' stool nuruiing Rcsitlenl of Qleielauul area for I9 years Resident of Kent. Ohio tor H years l9o6 high school grziduute l97l university grauluate hxiilable upon request