Bill Gates is determined to keep low-income students in school
The U.S. has a dropout problem, and Bill Gates isn't having it.
In a blog post published last week, the Microsoft co-founder referred to America's 45.2 percent college dropout rate as "tragic."
Bill Gates is, of course, a college dropout himself, having left Harvard to found Microsoft in 1975. But rather than chastise those like himself, he says that he aims to focus on low-income, first-generation, and minority students, and the barriers they face at their colleges.
"Without more graduates, our country will face a shortage of skilled workers and fewer low-income families will get the opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty," Gates wrote. "That's why I'm constantly on the lookout for colleges and universities that somehow defy these odds."
His activism began with a trip to Georgia State University (GSU), a school from which racial minority and low income students graduate at rates at or above those of the student body. Gates interviewed GSU administrators about how the university has improved its graduation rates, and shot a video and selfies with some students.
It's not clear from the post whether Gates has a plan for using these experiences to improve graduation rates at other universities. But the attention of a magnate like Gates may, if nothing else, bring the issue more of the spotlight that he clearly believes it deserves.
Monica wrote for Mashable's Tech section with a focus on retail, internet of things, and the intersections of technology and social justice. She holds a degree in creative writing from Brown University, and has previously written for Dow Jones Media, the New York Post, Yahoo Finance, and others. In her free time, she can be found attempting to cook Asian food, buying board games, and looking for new hobbies.
