An Olathe teen is going viral after he posted a picture of himself giving an obscene gesture to Kansas State University as part of his final goodbye.
In Billy Willson’s post, he says a college education is becoming too expensive, and the education you get does not apply to what you end up doing in your career field.
After one semester at Kansas State University he dropped out with a 4.0 GPA.
"The number one thing that made me decide to drop out I think was the time, and I felt like I wasn't learning the types of things that I felt like would help me in the work place,” said Willson.
His Facebook post has more than 11,000 shares and more than 8,000 comments.
"Getting a college education is not a fail safe way to a better life, but it's still the best, most likely way to a more prosperous and better life,” said Randy Weber, the Vice President of Student Success and Engagement at Johnson County Community College.
Weber said they do try to mitigate some of the issues Willson brought up. For example, the college has textbook rentals to save money and internship opportunities for hands-on experiences.
Weber said college is worth it; he points to statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor indicating the more education you have the more money you'll make. He said to get the most out of college, plan ahead.
"I think when everybody understands what the student is trying to accomplish with their educational experience then there's a path of least resistance to it, and so are we taking the right course for my education and career interest,” said Weber.
However Willson is going a different route. He is saving thousands, working on starting his own business, and encourages others to follow their dreams.
"I don't want any kids that are around the college age to feel pre-pressure into doing something. They should make the choice completely on their own goals and what they want to do in life,” Willson said.
41 Action News reached out to Kansas State University. The university confirmed Willson was a student however they did not want to comment further.
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Ali Hoxie can be reached at ali.hoxie@kshb.com
