What will Simone do after gymnastics?

[ArnoldRimmer]

We do all rely on people with degrees, Shawn as much as anyone else. And also people without degrees too, though in a different way as there’s nothing to stop people who hold degrees also doing the roles that society requires in order to function but that don’t need a higher education. However, the idea that if you’re a role model you should go to college is odd.

 

[anon65539698]

Maybe it depends on what you think makes a role model.

 

[makam]

Well for every Shawn who is making it work as a mommy blogger/vlogger, there is an Ashton Locklear who seems to be trying to live the high life but ending up in a not great place. (at least from the stuff that has been shared here, I don’t follow her so I don’t know what she is up to these days)

The problem with people doing the insta/influencer life is that less connected/talented/supported people only see the result and think “I can do that! Live a great life, get free stuff, have everyone coo over me, etc” when it is so much more involved and difficult than that and requires incredible luck and help (or at least someone to take all the damn pictures!). I think at least in Simone’s case, everyone would realize she isn’t just some “discovered” star but that kind of life isn’t one that just anyone can lead but kids don’t get all the hardwork and talent she had to apply before getting to where she is. So, overall, it is just “easier” if people who are role models go the standard schooling route even if they don’t exactly use that schooling (like Kyla Ross) because getting educated and becoming successful is more likely than becoming internet famous and being successful for the vast majority of people.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Well my definition of that wouldn’t exclude people who for whatever reason don’t have the ability to complete tertiary education, for example, so probably.

 

[MaryClare]

So? Plenty of people have the required grades but chose not to go on to college. There are also people who don’t complete high school, yet are good role models in other ways.

This whole notion is weird and uncomfortable and quite frankly, bordering on supremacist

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

I agree. Did you mean to reply to me there? It seems like we’re making similar points.

 

[MaryClare]

Apologies, should have been a general reply to the thread

 

[Alinxz23]

Simone is a multi millionaire I assume, provided she invests her money well there probably is no need for her to work. Everyone’s path does not have to involve higher education or a regular job there is more than one way to be productive. That being said I can see her doing motivational books and speaking engagements. If Mary Lou is marginally recognisable and still gets offers over 3 decades later I assume Simone will be even better off.

 

[anon65539698]

If you don’t value something like education, it may be weird and uncomfortable for you, and you’re entitled to your opinion.

Earning an education is at least merit-based.

As far as calling educated people “supremacists”, though, some of the people I know that had good jobs and easy lives without the requisite education were trading on their blonde hair and white skin.

Without an educated, well-informed public, democracy disintegrates.

 

[ArnoldRimmer]

Earning an education is at least merit-based.

Yes and no. Even focusing specifically on the sort of merit that tends to be recognised in tertiary education, some people face much more significant barriers to that than others. There is lots of merit that never gets recognised in a higher education context because it never has the opportunity to get anywhere near there in the first place. I say this as someone who attended an ancient university having grown up in one of the most deprived areas of the country. The people I was there with were all smart, but there were lots of other smart people who weren’t there because of things completely unrelated to merit.

 

[gym4ever]

I’m pretty sure I read somewhere that Shawn got a college degree.

 

[RedBirdie]

Shawn enrolled at Vanderbilt but withdrew before classes started. Did she go somewhere else more recently?

 

[MaryClare]

I do value education. But academic life is only one form of education. What does sit uncomfortably with me is the idea that there are educated and uneducated people, and the inference that the uneducated are of lesser value. That is supremacist.

 

[JDB]

So did Simone Biles ever mention her post-gymnastics career aspirations? I’m now wondering that after 70 comments of people projecting their values onto her.

 

[Kittentoes]

I hope Simone does whatever she wants after the tour.

 

[Doug1233]

She needs to go backpacking for six months but stay in luxury hotels the whole time (ok now I’m just projecting what I would want to do…)

 

[makam]

She could visit all the cities she went to competitions in and actually see the cities/experience the culture that she wasn’t allowed to do while competing.

 

[JaJa]

Luxury hotel to luxury hotel trekking? Sounds sublime. She could then start her own travel company. I would sign up for the first trip.

 

[JDB]

Kyle Robertson on LinkedIn: Thrilled to announce that Simone Biles is now Cerebral’s Chief Impact… | 1,170 comments

Thrilled to announce that Simone Biles is now Cerebral’s Chief Impact Officer. Simone knows what it’s like to face major pressures and have the odds stacked… | 1,170 comments on LinkedIn

www.linkedin.com

 

[rlayt]

That was a very smart move for them.