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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.
The data tells a powerful story: Latinos are driving economic growth in America. If Latino Americans were a standalone country, we’d be the fifth-largest economy in the world, and without Latino homebuyers, the number of homeowners in America would have declined in 2025. So why doesn’t it feel like we’re winning? In this episode, I talk about the gap between growth and perception, why we still don’t have enough strong voices shaping the national conversation, and why purchasing power alone is not enough. Growth matters, but wealth matters more. This is a conversation about leadership, visibility, and what it will really take for our community to turn momentum into lasting power.
A bill known as the 21st Century Road to Housing Act recently passed the Senate with rare bipartisan support, and it raises an important question: could housing be the issue that brings Americans back together? In this episode, I talk about why housing has become too urgent for either party to ignore, how affordability is forcing elected officials to actually work together, and why this moment matters so much for our community. At a time when division feels constant, housing may be one of the few issues serious enough to cut through the noise.
A recent housing study confirms what many of us in this industry have already felt: Latinos are playing an increasingly vital role in keeping the housing market strong. In this episode, I break down why that matters so much. Latinos accounted for more than 100% of the net increase in U.S. homeowners in 2025, and when you combine that with our workforce participation, youth, and growing economic influence, the picture becomes clear — Latino buyers and workers are helping keep both housing and the broader economy afloat. This is a story of momentum, contribution, and the growing importance of our community in shaping America’s future.