Mom Wants Mike Rowe To Give Her Son a Scholarship Until She Hears He Has To Work Hard...
Trying to find additional scholarships for college is difficult. I can remember being a junior and senior in high school and spending hours trying to find scholarships that, one, I was eligible for, and two, didn’t require a very long essay.
The pressure to find anything to supplement the cost of school was high, but I was willing to write a ten page paper if it meant I could get an extra $1000. My mom kept reminding me, “You have to put in some effort to achieve your goals.”
But it appears that a woman named Karyn Segal is not teaching her son the same lesson.
Mike Rowe, the TV personality most well known for hosting the show “Dirty Jobs,” started his Work Ethic Scholarship Program a few years ago.
Recently, Segal came across the program and told her son to apply this year. Rowe’s scholarship helps pay for training for those interested in becoming carpenters, electricians, plumbers, and welders.
Segal’s son wants to pursue a career in welding, so she thought it would be perfect.
Her son visited the scholarship’s web page and read the first item on the list of requirements: all applicants have to fill out The S.W.E.A.T. Pledge.
S.W.E.A.T. is an acronym for “Skill & Work Ethic Aren’t Taboo.”
The Pledge is a document with 12 different statements that all applicants must adhere to. Most of the statements involve taking responsibility for one’s actions and dreams and having a positive, grateful attitude while doing so.
These 12 statements are also something that Rowe said the majority of successful employers he knows would have “enthusiastically agreed with.”
On the website, Rowe further explains the pledge, “Basically, you’re signing a solemn oath not to become a lazy, self-entitled drone who blames others for their troubles and expects to be taken care of.”
He then warns that the pledge isn’t for everyone and that if you don’t agree then, “it’s probably best to seek out a different pile of free money.”
When Segal read the pledge, she was appalled. She went to Facebook to publicly tell Mike Rowe how ridiculous the pledge was.
Her post ended, “Where did you come up with this nonsense? There are so many things wrong with this document I don’t even know where to begin!! Suffice it to say, we will not be applying!!! -Karyn Segal”
Mike Rowe saw her post and decided to respond. He began by wishing her son a successful future, highlighting the demand for highly skilled welders.
“But to be clear, I have absolutely no interest in paying for his training if doesn’t share my opinions on the importance of hard work, a positive attitude, delayed gratification, and personal responsibility,” he continued. “Fortunately, lots of scholarship funds will hand out money with no strings attached, and if you poke around, I’m sure you’ll find one that’s more in line with your worldview.”
While Segal never said what she specifically disagreed with, Rowe has gotten plenty of backlash for S.W.E.A.T. in the past, so he decided to take the opportunity to defend his pledge against those arguments.
He reiterated the potential found in employees with strong work ethic while recognizing that not everyone held the same beliefs. You can read his full post below.
What do you think? Do you agree with the twelve statements laid out in Mike Rowe’s S.W.E.A.T. Pledge?
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