Life Lessons
“University is where you grow as a person. It’s where you make your friends for life, and decide what you want to do and who you want to be.” - Every school principal ever
Today I had coffee at Joan’s on Third in West Hollywood – a spot notorious for both its humongous salads and its clientele, all of whom pair the classic Lululemon Align leggings and Alo yoga tops with flawless makeup and sun-kissed hair. I am inclined both to believe and hope that they haven’t actually worked out because not one of them has any residue signs of exercise (sweat, matted hair, tears). But, sadly, their toned arms and lithe limbs say otherwise.
One of these Amazonian species is sitting directly opposite me – tanned arms, blond hair, and non-existent sweat patches (though I know for a fact she lifted before meeting me). Georgia Spencer is a model, personal trainer and social media influencer who splits her time between London and Los Angeles. Even as a good friend of Georgia’s, I can’t help but feel envious every time I read over the list of her accomplishments. Eloquent, bubbly and extremely socially intuitive, Georgia is thriving in all respects of her life. She makes enough money to pay rent for a West Hollywood apartment, has time to go out to party “on Sunset” at least two nights a week, and has thousands of loyal fans who respect both her honesty and her calls for women to lift each-other up rather than compete against each other.
Georgia also does not go to college.
Was she bullied at school? Was she failing classes? Was she a drop out? How can someone so damn successful not have gone to university?
Listening to Georgia is refreshing. I was raised in an intensely academic environment where I believed there was no alternative to university. It was drilled into our heads during every school assembly. The plan was straight forward: start at school, then go to university, take a few internships and eventually snag a job. A few of us played around with the rules, taking gap years, doing a year abroad and skipping summer internships for barista jobs and Bumble dates, but we all knew the rules.
I quickly learned that it wasn’t that Georgia didn’t enjoy school and it certainly wasn’t for lack of academic prowess. She simply found herself in a place and point in her life where she is incredibly fulfilled.
“Maybe at some point I’ll go,” Georgia tells me, sipping an iced Americano. “But right now, I’m loving life. I train my own clients, blog about things that matter to me and still have a great social circle both from school but also from working.”
Don’t get me wrong, university is certainly a wonderful and life changing place. I for one, am so glad to be where I am now, taking the classes I take, meeting the people I meet and making the mistakes I make. But the real world is equally as rewarding. It’s filled with the same people, the same mistakes and the same opportunities. But, just because we are prescribed the idea that college if the only option given we can afford it, doesn’t mean it works for everyone. Just like how I know as an athlete, veganism would not work for me, school just isn’t the next step for everyone. It just takes people like Georgia to remind you.
After our coffee date, I decided to do some research on some other well-known faces who are making waves around the world right now and didn’t go to university.
1. Ellen DeGeneres
The woman who does it all. By “all”, I mean everything ever in the world. Among a host of other things, she’s a TV personality, philanthropist, author, comedian. This day-time TV legend is worth over $400 million.
2. Anna Wintour
She runs Vogue. She controls us all.
3. Kim K.
Love her or hate her, She’s worth over $175 million. With her own emoji line, the reality star is the ultimate personification of millennial fame.
4. Reese Witherspoon
The actor behind the sweet blond woman in every film you’ve ever cried to left Stanford after one year to pursue her career in acting. Since then, she has not only been featured in classics and new hits like Legally Blond and well, Legally Blond 2, but she also founded Hello Sunshine, a joint venture to get more women’s stories into mainstream television and film.
5. Steve Jobs
Okay, he’s no woman, but Steve changed our lives. The man behind the iPod, the iPhone, the Macbook, Apple earpods and the iPad also didn’t go to university.
No Steve Jobs, no nothing.
By Sophia Parvizi-Wayne
Duke Student, leader of national campaign on mental health, Cross Country All-ACC, fashion alchemist, Huffington Post writer, and all-around world-runner