Las Vegas, Nevada—the city known for its flamboyant nightlife and never-ending party—instills a fictional reputation for those living outside of the city. Tourists often see the beauty and elegance proudly marketed by Las Vegas; the city does what it does best—put on a show. The city does nothing more than put a façade to hide the failure to serve our community.
I chose to write about Las Vegas because the misconceptions of my hometown affect how people think of me when I introduce myself. Upon saying I was raised in Las Vegas, the immediate response is, “Oh, I didn’t know people actually lived in Las Vegas. Do you live in a casino?” If people unfamiliar with our demographics were to learn about the challenges in Las Vegas, the city would …show more content…
Unfortunately, not everyone in the United States, nor in Las Vegas, has the education level to avoid poverty. Those without a higher level of education are, as a result, “regulated to less lucrative and less stable work” (Stevens, 2007, p. 591) and susceptible to poverty. In Las Vegas, one with a bachelor’s degree makes an estimate of $46,473 annually instead of $29,188 with a high school diploma compared to the United State’s estimate of $51,094 and $28,672, respectively. Although a Las Vegas resident with a high school diploma could make a few hundred dollars above the national estimate, having a bachelor's degree makes a significant economic difference. People without a higher education, struggle to “lay claim to economic security in American society” (Shapiro, 2006, p. 282) and “fewer and fewer families can afford a roof over their head” due to education attainment being a factor of social mobility (Desmond, 2016, p. 5). Poverty, an effect of the levels of educational attainment level, is slightly higher in Las Vegas than in the United States as 24.4 percent for Las Vegas with less than a high school diploma, 15.9 percent for people with a high school and 11.8 percent for some college or associate's degree and 6.3 percent for residents with a bachelor’s degree or higher level of education in comparison to the United States’ being 27.1 percent, 14.3 percent, 10.4 percent, adn 4.5 …show more content…
Ultimately, the Census data suggests that our education quality and outcome is below the national average. We can see the poor education in Nevada correlates with the low number of Las Vegas and Nevada residents that obtain a bachelor's degree or higher. The main challenge in economic and social prosperity for Las Vegas is improving our education quality to increase our the number of residents with a bachelor's degree. We need to have college access programs encouraging students of color to enroll and graduate with a bachelor’s degree. Yes, tourism is business for Las Vegas, but education should be the investment of the city to improve the future of our students. Education is not a bet, but a necessity for
I chose to write about Las Vegas because the misconceptions of my hometown affect how people think of me when I introduce myself. Upon saying I was raised in Las Vegas, the immediate response is, “Oh, I didn’t know people actually lived in Las Vegas. Do you live in a casino?” If people unfamiliar with our demographics were to learn about the challenges in Las Vegas, the city would …show more content…
Unfortunately, not everyone in the United States, nor in Las Vegas, has the education level to avoid poverty. Those without a higher level of education are, as a result, “regulated to less lucrative and less stable work” (Stevens, 2007, p. 591) and susceptible to poverty. In Las Vegas, one with a bachelor’s degree makes an estimate of $46,473 annually instead of $29,188 with a high school diploma compared to the United State’s estimate of $51,094 and $28,672, respectively. Although a Las Vegas resident with a high school diploma could make a few hundred dollars above the national estimate, having a bachelor's degree makes a significant economic difference. People without a higher education, struggle to “lay claim to economic security in American society” (Shapiro, 2006, p. 282) and “fewer and fewer families can afford a roof over their head” due to education attainment being a factor of social mobility (Desmond, 2016, p. 5). Poverty, an effect of the levels of educational attainment level, is slightly higher in Las Vegas than in the United States as 24.4 percent for Las Vegas with less than a high school diploma, 15.9 percent for people with a high school and 11.8 percent for some college or associate's degree and 6.3 percent for residents with a bachelor’s degree or higher level of education in comparison to the United States’ being 27.1 percent, 14.3 percent, 10.4 percent, adn 4.5 …show more content…
Ultimately, the Census data suggests that our education quality and outcome is below the national average. We can see the poor education in Nevada correlates with the low number of Las Vegas and Nevada residents that obtain a bachelor's degree or higher. The main challenge in economic and social prosperity for Las Vegas is improving our education quality to increase our the number of residents with a bachelor's degree. We need to have college access programs encouraging students of color to enroll and graduate with a bachelor’s degree. Yes, tourism is business for Las Vegas, but education should be the investment of the city to improve the future of our students. Education is not a bet, but a necessity for