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My son Aaron graduated today from Colorado College. He and his two sisters have four-year college degrees. Colorado College is expensive. Tuition at CC ranks among the most expensive in the nation. Inflation in the United States is the highest it’s been in 40 years, but college tuition inflation has been out of control for years. It begs the question of whether a college degree is still worth the expense.
Before the turn of the century, the value of a college degree was pretty clear. The lifetime earnings of a college graduate in the 90s was substantially more than for non-graduates. Today, the value of a college degree in terms of earning potential is less clear. People like Gary Vaynerchuk and Grant Cardone say college degrees are a waste of time. Elon Musk also does not believe a college degree means a whole lot, and some top employers have done away with requiring a college degree for any position within their firm. However, I’m not sure all of this means college is no longer important. Gary V and Grant Cardone want you to buy their books, so they have an agenda, and Elon Musk mostly hires coders and computer geeks, many of whom are self-taught. I do agree that if someone is over 30, it shouldn’t matter whether they attended college as long as they have the requisite skills and experience to do the job. I am glad many employers are waking up to that.
Like many things, the value of college depends on what you put into it. If you want to be a doctor, lawyer, or CPA, both college and graduate school are required, but there are a lot of lucrative careers that don’t require any college.
If you can get into an Ivy League college or Stanford, go, and make the most of the education and connections that are available there, but I personally think many, if not most, colleges are no longer worth the money. Going to community college for two years and transferring to a state university is a cost-effective way to get a quality education that can set you up for a great career. Taking out student loans to attend a mid or lower-level private college probably does not pencil.
Here is a fact: College or not, people who have strong communication skills tend to be the ones who achieve the highest career success. They are the ones that move up the corporate ladder the fastest and who make the most money. People who can communicate their ideas well and who can persuade and lead others are the ones who do the best in business. With more Latinos than ever attending college, I feel inclined to comment on this. My advice for anyone is that if you go to college and are not pursuing a degree in medicine, STEM, or law, make sure you leave with elite writing and communication skills. Take as many writing classes as you can and I would also recommend speech and debate if you are so inclined. Aaron and my daughter Marisa both attended writing-intensive, liberal arts colleges, and Jaimie was a debate champion at her college. I am confident that they will do well in their careers and because of their communication skills, they will have many opportunities to explore. College isn’t for everyone, but for some people, it can be a great experience that provides the foundation and skills to last a lifetime.
Immigration may be the most emotional issue in our politics, but behind the slogans are real people whose lives are shaped by how our laws actually work. In this episode, I explain why I say I’m “glad Trump is ending illegal immigration”—not because I support cruelty toward migrants, but because I want to end a system that exploits undocumented workers, keeps them in the shadows, and lets bad employers and politicians off the hook. I talk about why enforcement should focus on those who profit from illegal labor, why our broken legal immigration system needs a complete overhaul, and why a real path to citizenship for long-time, tax-paying immigrants is both moral and economically smart. If we care about growth, talent, and basic human dignity, we can’t afford to get this conversation wrong.
After the clip of Donald Trump meeting with Zohran Mamdani went viral, I heard from people who weren’t sure what to make of two supposed political opposites smiling for the cameras and saying they “want the same things.” In this episode, I break down what that moment really tells us about partisan politics—how both parties use identity and outrage while often staying aligned on power and money—and why communities like ours can’t afford to be naïve about the game that’s being played. I also talk about what real political independence looks like for Latinos, and why thinking beyond party labels is essential if we’re serious about building lasting economic and political power.
After my last video about Pharrell Williams, I heard from people who wondered why I’d respond to a comment that, on the surface, seemed harmless. In this episode, I explain why moments like this matter—because even well-intentioned remarks can reinforce damaging narratives about Black and Latino professionals, especially around DEI and merit. And when those narratives come from influential voices, they spread fast. I also get into why unity and consistency in our messaging is critical right now, and why staying silent when false narratives gain traction can cost us economically and professionally.