Dana White Names the Problem With the US Education System

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UFC President Dana White has given his take on the educational system, naming a major problem that currently exists in regards to college.
In 2018, it was reported that 61.28% of Americans over the age of 25 boasted some form of college degree on their résumé. A college education has long been branded by many as the preferable path through the system and one which presents the best prospects for students as they enter the working world.
Like many others, though, White has found incredible success in spite of a disjointed relationship with education as a teenager and the lack of a college attainment.
While he graduated from Maine’s Hermon High School in 1987, he failed to last beyond the first semester at two separate colleges. But with a firm desire to enter the fight game, White did so without the use of a conventional educational history.
Since then, the 53-year-old has gone on to find immense success in the mixed martial arts industry, building the premier promotion up from a $2 million acquisition in 2001 to a $4 billion sale 15 years later.
And White is far from being the only success story from the pool of those choosing against a college education. Joining the Connecticut native in that bracket is Mark Zuckerberg, who dropped out of Harvard University to focus on his creation of Facebook, which now has close to three billion monthly active users.
Image Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
With his success, as well as for the likes of Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and Steve Jobs, it’s perhaps unsurprising that White has a firm take on the perceived ‘necessity’ for a college education.
White: “I Went Out & Created My Own College”
During an interview with Grant Cardone back in December, White recounted the early days of his life and the UFC, including a reunion that shaped the history of the promotion and a fractured stint in the educational system that set him on a triumphant path in the fight business.
When discussing his time at high school and subsequent college dropouts, White named what he believes to be the biggest issues prevalent in education.
After noting that, in some instances, talented and well-educated individuals are left without a means to utilize their degrees, the UFC president claimed that the major problem with college lies in the fact that many students haven’t come to a conclusion regarding their future goals.
“College was never for me. I went out and created my own college,” White said. “I was more a hands-on guy than a going to school and reading (guy)… My biggest problem with school is this, I lived in Boston for years, one of the most overeducated cities on Earth, and when I worked at the Boston Harbor Hotel, we had security guards that had master’s degrees from badass colleges in Boston.
“Here’s the problem with college, in my opinion, everybody tells you when you’re growing up, ‘If you don’t go to college, you’ll never amount to anything.’ You have these kids that are walking around school, if you ask them, ‘What’s your major?’ … ‘Well, I’m majoring in psychology but I’m thinking about switching to…’ School isn’t the problem, the problem is they don’t know what they want to do with their life.”
White went on to outline the importance of identifying a career that will keep a person motivated and keen to work — a realization he doesn’t believe college is needed for.
“The biggest question in life is, ‘Who am I? And what gets me so excited that I jump out of bed every day and I can’t wait to go to work?’ When you figure that out, college or no college, whatever, you’ll figure it out.”

1) Dana White, a two time college drop out, has always been obsessed with the "fight game."At 19, White decided to chase his dreams – walking out of a salaried job at a Boston casino.With nothing to lose, White told his best friend "I'm gonna get into the fight business." pic.twitter.com/PesZ1CE1wm— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) September 24, 2020

What do you make of Dana White’s take on the education system?
Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.

UFC President Dana White has given his take on the educational system, naming a major problem that currently exists in regards to college.


In 2018, it was reported that 61.28% of Americans over the age of 25 boasted some form of college degree on their résumé. A college education has long been branded by many as the preferable path through the system and one which presents the best prospects for students as they enter the working world.


Like many others, though, White has found incredible success in spite of a disjointed relationship with education as a teenager and the lack of a college attainment.


While he graduated from Maine’s Hermon High School in 1987, he failed to last beyond the first semester at two separate colleges. But with a firm desire to enter the fight game, White did so without the use of a conventional educational history.


Since then, the 53-year-old has gone on to find immense success in the mixed martial arts industry, building the premier promotion up from a $2 million acquisition in 2001 to a $4 billion sale 15 years later.


And White is far from being the only success story from the pool of those choosing against a college education. Joining the Connecticut native in that bracket is Mark Zuckerberg, who dropped out of Harvard University to focus on his creation of Facebook, which now has close to three billion monthly active users.


gettyimages-1429505880-594x594-2.jpg.optimal.jpg
Image Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
With his success, as well as for the likes of Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and Steve Jobs, it’s perhaps unsurprising that White has a firm take on the perceived ‘necessity’ for a college education.


White: “I Went Out & Created My Own College”
During an interview with Grant Cardone back in December, White recounted the early days of his life and the UFC, including a reunion that shaped the history of the promotion and a fractured stint in the educational system that set him on a triumphant path in the fight business.


When discussing his time at high school and subsequent college dropouts, White named what he believes to be the biggest issues prevalent in education.


After noting that, in some instances, talented and well-educated individuals are left without a means to utilize their degrees, the UFC president claimed that the major problem with college lies in the fact that many students haven’t come to a conclusion regarding their future goals.


“College was never for me. I went out and created my own college,” White said. “I was more a hands-on guy than a going to school and reading (guy)… My biggest problem with school is this, I lived in Boston for years, one of the most overeducated cities on Earth, and when I worked at the Boston Harbor Hotel, we had security guards that had master’s degrees from badass colleges in Boston.


“Here’s the problem with college, in my opinion, everybody tells you when you’re growing up, ‘If you don’t go to college, you’ll never amount to anything.’ You have these kids that are walking around school, if you ask them, ‘What’s your major?’ … ‘Well, I’m majoring in psychology but I’m thinking about switching to…’ School isn’t the problem, the problem is they don’t know what they want to do with their life.”


White went on to outline the importance of identifying a career that will keep a person motivated and keen to work — a realization he doesn’t believe college is needed for.


“The biggest question in life is, ‘Who am I? And what gets me so excited that I jump out of bed every day and I can’t wait to go to work?’ When you figure that out, college or no college, whatever, you’ll figure it out.”



1) Dana White, a two time college drop out, has always been obsessed with the "fight game."

At 19, White decided to chase his dreams – walking out of a salaried job at a Boston casino.

With nothing to lose, White told his best friend "I'm gonna get into the fight business." pic.twitter.com/PesZ1CE1wm

— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) September 24, 2020[/quote]

What do you make of Dana White’s take on the education system?


Please provide transcription credit with a link to this article if you use any of these quotes.




Click here to view the article.
 
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