Anaheim’s Universities Which YOU HAVE NO CLUE EXISTS

This article has been published in Loara High School's newspaper, The Saxon Shield:

Most Anaheim residents do not know that Anaheim has very few universities and colleges, while having many trade, vocational, and technical schools (TVT schools). Generally, TVT schools are academic institutions that focus on a single skilled-based purpose. This means they focus on teaching a student one job. Such schools include California Institute of Technology, CTM Welding LLC, Southern California School of Floral Design and many more. Most schools (approximately 14) in Anaheim, being TVT schools, typically focus on one specific occupation (i.e. nursing, construction, automotives) to prepare their students for. The minority (currently 5) of universities in Anaheim include Anaheim University, Bethesda University, Bristol University, California University of Management and Science School Report, and South Baylo University. Because universities and colleges provide majors pertaining to specific fields of study (i.e. neuroscience, nursing, anthropology), students have a wider variety of jobs to choose from, rather than simply one job that TVT schools would prepare them for.

Although universities are considered a better route for students’ career goals, they seem to be financially impossible; however, they can be financially beneficial in the long term. For example, even though a university costs nearly $20,000 a year (costs vary amongst universities and colleges), TVT schools can cost twice as much. In fact, universities around California provide generous scholarships and grants which can substantially alleviate their financial needs, which is much better than borrowing student-loans and paying interest. Even if students have less income to pay for loans and interest, they are able to have a more reputable job with a higher salary through a university-based education. For instance, an university graduate can earn much more than a TVT-school graduate. Essentially, the graduate with a higher-level degree (i.e. masters, PhD) has a better chance of getting a professional job. An additional reason why universities (specifically in Anaheim) are financially beneficial is that they are advantageous to Anaheim students as the close proximity of their house and school would deduct transportation costs. With these opportunities, it will be more affordable for Anaheim students to pursue higher degrees in Anaheim’s universities than Anaheim’s TVT schools.

One might not consider attending universities in Anaheim due to its lack of credibility and resources, especially when TVT schools count for the majority of Anaheim’s higher academic institutions. As students graduate from high school, most are indecisive about their major; therefore, they tend to enroll in universities that offer multiple majors. By doing so, they are able to experiment to find their true passion instead of being limited to a single job. With an overwhelming number of TVT schools, Anaheim seemingly lacks the credibility and resources to provide a post-secondary education. As a result, the level of their prestige decreases dramatically, discouraging students from even considering Anaheim’s universities.

By popularizing Anaheim’s universities, they will seem more credible, thus holding more prestige. Any student is more likely to attend a well-known school than a school he/she has never heard of. If Anaheim was able to establish one of its universities into a University of California (UC) school, its popularity will increase significantly, which will motivate Anaheim residents and non-Anaheim residents to enroll. Understandably, there is much difficulty with this solution - not every school has to be a UC school to be well-known. However, there are many other options to popularize a school - even a general word-of-mouth would be helpful with some advertising. The main point is to recognize that a popular, well-known institution in Anaheim will draw in more students, and will significantly help strengthen the city’s economy and reputation. Classified as “economic engines”, universities are “hotbeds of innovation and entrepreneurship” (The Conversation). By partnering with governments and businesses, universities can help enhance or establish multiple industries that will profit the city. For example, during 2011-2012, London’s universities not only profited London with £5.8 billion, but also supported 145,921 jobs amongst many fields. In fact, students are a huge boost to a city’s economy as they take jobs (i.e. cafes, bars, restaurants, shops) and willingly work long shifts for lower-level minimum wages, thus allowing business owners to to “save nearly £1 an hour in wages” (The Guardian). A report from Virgin Group, a British-based conglomerate of varied multinational corporations, “suggests that fresh collaborations between private companies and public universities could enable metro areas to flourish.” This discovery will be an immense economical benefit for Anaheim’s metro area, Anaheim Regional Transportation Center (ARTIC), “from the large number of students who use public transport’ (The Guardian). The list of advantages continues for “university cities [to] thrive on students” in regards to social, economic, political, and diplomatic impacts, which confirms Anaheim will be well-impacted by popularizing its universities.

In summation, the disparity between the the low number of universities and colleges and the countless amount of TVT schools shouldn't be broken (TVT schools are needed to educate aspiring industrial workers), but Anaheim’s universities must be reestablished (in terms of credibility) to become great assets to the City of Anaheim.