By Henrylito D. Tacio
“Education never fails.” That was the theme of a recent high school graduation. To most Filipino parents, education is the only inheritance they cangive to their children.
There are good reasons for such belief. “Unlike wealth, education can never be stolen,” said a mother of four. “We are not rich but with good education, I know that my children can find a good job later on,” another one explained.
Good education is one of the best ways to get out from poverty. A lot of people became rich because of the education they got from prestigious schools and universities. It also means getting connected with the right people.
But in these days of economic crunch, a lot of students have no option but stop schooling altogether. In its 2011 Economic Policy Monitor titled “Education Development” released in April this year, the government think tank Philippine Institute for Development (PIDS) said: “Economic issues facing families (such as high cost of education and the need to work) are perceived to be factors hindering children from attending school.”
“There’s no recourse but to stop schooling for this year,” said Mary Jane, who is supposed to be a second year high school student. “My father is sick and it’s only my mother who is working. In fact, I have to help my mother to make both ends meet. There are four of us children.”
In modern society, receiving systematic college education seems a necessary way for success. Those who graduate from first-class university may always get more opportunities than others.
What about the dropouts, or those who quit schooling? What does the future hold for them? Will they always end up as losers in life? As one saying puts it, there is always an exception to every rule. With perseverance, hard work, and determination, there are those who excel in life even without finishing college.
Although his father was a famous actor, Roland Allan Poe dropped out of high school to work in the Filipino film industry as a messenger boy. Later on, he was given acting roles. He started as a stuntman and finally was given his first starring role in Anak ni Palaris at the age of 14. The movie was not a big hit.
But he was determined to hit the big time in Philippine cinema. In 1957, he finally became a star in his own right when he starred in Lo Waist Gang. From there on, Fernando Poe Jr. (using the screen name to capitalize on his father’s popularity) became one of the country’s most in-demand actors and even earned the moniker, Da King. He was named last year, although posthumously, as National Artist.
Joseph Ejercito was born in Tondo, an urban district of Manila. His family later moved to the wealthy suburb of San Juan. He was kicked out during his primary studies at the Ateneo de Manila University and subsequently enrolled on an engineering course at the Mapua Institute of Technology in an effort to please his father, but dropped out.
He changed his name to Joseph Estrada (as his mother objected to his chosen career and his decision to quit schooling) and became an actor, earning several acting awards. He joined politics: first as mayor, then senator, then vice-president, and finally as president of the country. He is currently the mayor of the city of Manila.
There are those who quit schooling while still in high school. But it didn’t stop them from becoming rich and famous. Take the case of Quentin Tarantino, writer and film director who is best known for his movies Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill Volume 1 and 2, Reservoir Dogs, From Dusk Till Dawn and many more. Although he dropped out of high school, Quentin went on to become one of the most successful movie/writers in Hollywood today.
Johnny Depp is known for his TV show 21 Jump Street and many movies like Edward Scissorhands, Secret Window, Blow, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and many more. At age 16, his parents divorced and shortly after Johnny dropped out of high school. The first time he was out of his country was when he came to the Philippines to appear in Oliver Stone’s Platoon.
There are those who are destined for fame – like Christina Aguilera. Early in high school, her mother pulled her out of school to homeschool her because other kids were jealous of her new found fame. Christina has now moved on through life making a ton of number one songs on the charts and selling over 25 million records worldwide.
Other actors who find fame after quitting high school include heartthrob Tom Cruise,
comedian Jim Carrey, Oscar-nominated John Travolta, Canadian celebrity Michael J. Fox, Matrix star Keanu Reeves, Academy Award winners Jack Albertson and Nicholas Cage, comedian Chris Rock, and Italian Joe Pesci.
Other famous high school dropouts are the following: scientist Albert Einstein, comedian George Carlin, singer Billy Joel, Kodak founder George Eastman, Australian songwriter and singer Peter Allen, country music singer Randy Travis, composer George Gershwin, news anchor Peter Jennings, photographer Ansel Adams, songwriter Bryan Adams, British actress Julie Andrews, and fashion designer Miguel Adrover.
Here are more high school dropout: chef Ferran Adria, actor Danny Aiello, billionaire Indian businessman Dhirubhai Ambani, publisher and editor Walter Anderson, British artist Edwin Apps, jazz musician and singer Louis Armstrong, author and philanthropist Brooke Astor, country singer Chet Atkins, singing cowboy Gene Autry, and photographer Richard Avedon.
There are also those who attended college for some reasons, they quit – without finishing a degree. Playwright Edward Albee dropped out of Trinity College after three semesters. Actor and screenwriter Ben Affleck left the University of Vermont after one semester; then dropped out of Occidental College to pursue acting.
Paul Thomas Anderson, director of such movies as Boogie Nights and Magnolia, attended film school at New York University but quit after two days because one professor hated Terminator 2 and another gave him a C for a writing assignment.
Woody Allen – Oscar-winning screenwriter, actor, director, and producer – was thrown out of New York University after one semester for poor grades. He also dropped out of City College of New York. As he admitted, “I was thrown out of college for cheating on the metaphysics final. I looked within the soul of the boy sitting next to me.”
Other Oscar winners without degrees include Clint Eastwood, James Cameron, Robert Redford, Michael Moore, Sidney Pollack, George Clooney, Hilary Swank, Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Steven Spielberg (who completed a degree in 2002).
Maya Angelou has received many honorary doctorates but never attended college to learn her craft. She’s in good company with many other great American writers, such as Gore Vidal, August Wilson, Mark Twain, William Faulkner, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Robert Frost, Joseph Brodsky and Harper Lee.
Of course, everyone now knows the story of Steve Jobs, who dropped out of Reed College. Since the days of Henry Ford, many business leaders got their starts without the benefit of degrees, including Larry Ellison of Oracle, Bill Gates and Paul Allen of Microsoft, Mark Zuckerberg and Dustin Moskovitz of Facebook, Michael Dell of Dell Computers, Brian Dunn of Best Buy, Anna Wintour of Vogue, John Mackey of Whole Foods, David Geffen, Ralph Lauren and Ted Turner.
Now, you may wonder: why make a list of famous successful dropouts? Is it meant to discourage anyone from getting a formal education? Not of course; there are many advantages to going to school and getting degrees, particularly if one wants employment in certain fields.
However, one author puts three reasons why an article such as this should be published. For one, it reminds people that there are many ways to educate oneself besides the formal route. For another, it is a good reminder that success – however it is measured – is not always a matter of “following the rules.” Finally, it can encourage those without much formal education to pursue their goals.
Now, who says you can’t be famous if you have not graduated from college?
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