Michael Abraham Chose Work Over College

Since summer of 2023, Michael Abraham III has been working in his family's energy business, developing skills not taught in the classroom. 

Michael’s decision reflects the increasing decision of skipping college and going straight into the workforce. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, one-third of recent college grads don’t enroll in college, and 39% of college students drop out before finishing their degree. The question of whether college is the best path to success is becoming more prevalent in students’ lives. 

Working full time has taught Michael “how to read people and think on your feet” while he makes real decisions without a “playbook.” Michael expressed that no classroom could teach him how to “stay calm under pressure.” He said that each challenge becomes a lesson for the next. 

His father, Michael Abraham Jr, agrees with Michael’s decision. He said that, while college can be valuable, he believed most professors teach based on what they've read, not what they’ve experienced, “so it's like saying you're teaching somebody how to raise kids when you don't have any kids” 

Even though the younger Michael mostly earned A’s, and B’s, he always knew school wasn’t his forte. He prefers to measure his success through self-improvement, not test scores: “the way I look at it is, am I better than myself yesterday?” His father agreed that real success originates from consistency, discipline, self improvement, and following through, which he said would take you farther than any A in class.