Keys to Class Success

In Class Matters, there is a story about a woman named Angela who defied the odds and climbed the social ladder from being on welfare to a member of the middle class.

Angela is a mother of five who was able to go back to nursing school, get off welfare, and give her family a better life. In order to break into the middle class, Angela had to attend nursing school. She had met a man named Vincent who encouraged her to follow her dreams. He provided her and her family with a place to live and offered her encouragement and moral support, proofreading her papers and rewarding her for a good grade. She received financial help from Pellgrant awards and financial aid. She was now also highly motivated and wanted to complete the program quickly, fearing Vincent would change his mind and leave. Wanting a better life for her and her children and never wanting to end up back in the projects, Angela diligently studied nursing and biology. Her hard work paid off and she is now a nurse at an inner-city hospital making enough money to be considered middle class.

According to the experts interviewed for the story, Angela's key to success was that she found a "good man and a good job" (230). Vincent was there for moral support. He offered her encouragement and consoling and acted as the father figure to her children. She had a healthy relationship and the "support that comes from an encouraging partner" (231). According to the experts, upward mobility requires: education, job credentials, employability, emotional support, and encouragement. Angela fit most of these requirements and proved that they help in upward mobility.

I agree with the above assessment. Presently, employers like to see that you have both work experience and a college degree. Having an education, along with showing that you can hold a job are important aspects to gaining a well paying job. The higher education that you receive, the more money you will make and the better social class you will belong to. I also believe that in order to be successful at getting the college degree and job, you need to have a very good support staff. Whether it be family or friends, having someone close to you, who encourages you and doesn't let you give up makes handling the stress a little easier and success seem possible. When a person has a good support system, it is easier to be successful and get through difficult times as opposed to a person who is going it alone.