Participants plan on pursuing college, then the American dream

By Brian Nordli

Thursday, Nov. 20, 2014 | 2 a.m.

There is no shortage of optimism in today’s youths about the future, but the realities of the recession have taken their toll.

As teenagers talked about their future during the Las Vegas Sun Youth Forum, they weren’t fantasizing about dream jobs and fancy homes, or worrying about what school they’d attend next. Instead, they focused on the burden of student loans, facing unemployment, paying off bills and providing for their future family — issues faced by many of their parents.

A survey of 130 Las Vegas Valley high school students showed that 60 experienced unemployment in their homes, 14 dealt with foreclosure and 21 experienced violence or crime.

Still, most expressed optimism that with hard work they would be able to overcome obstacles and thrive, which for many was the essence of the American dream.

That dream, says Celia Plyman, a senior at Canyon Springs High School, is “being given the opportunity to learn more and do more for yourself. I think it’s attainable at any level, as long as you are willing to work toward it.”

Another student offered a cynical outlook, saying the American dream was attainable “if you’ve got the connections.”

And others offered definitions of a dream they weren’t sure they could attain. “The American dream is having a stable job with a family and a home to keep your family in, with an average salary,” said Stephanie Murcia, a senior at Clark High School. “But times aren’t that easy now.”

The survey also found:

As in past years, most students don’t plan on living in Nevada as adults. This year, 70 percent of those surveyed said they planned to leave the Silver State, with reasons including the desire to explore the world and seeking better employment opportunities elsewhere.

About 75 percent of students said the quality of education was the most important issue facing the state, even while most students rated their education quality a “three” or “four” on a scale of one to five, with five being the best. A Silverado High School student complained classes weren’t challenging enough. Other students said their school lacked resources to improve education.

A plurality of students said they would pick a college based on course of study; the next driving factor was cost.

Sun reporters Conor Shine and Rebecca Clifford-Cruz contributed.