Marcos Senior Quotes

Consider the statistics. In 2007, the Washington Post reported that, according to Nellie Mae, the giant student loan service provider, when college students are seniors, 56% of them will have four or more credit cards with an average balance of $2,864. According to a research report by Demos-USA.org, a public policy research and advocacy organization, people in the 18–24 age bracket spend nearly 30% of their monthly income on debt repayment. This is double from twenty years ago. A survey of college borrowers found that the average college senior graduated with nearly $19,000 in student loan debts, and graduate degree pursuers more than $45,000. A 2007 Charles Schwab survey revealed that teenagers believe when they get older, they will earn an average salary of $145,000. The reality? Adults with a college degree earned an average of $54,000.

Ben loved basketball growing up, but he was always a bit too short and a bit too slow to compete with the best players,” Marco said. “So he didn’t get a ton of playing time. This burned him to the core—but he loved the game too much to quit. He was the last man off the bench, but Ben worked like he was a starting point guard.” The waitress brought their pizza. “Go ahead, eat,” Marco told Niko. “You’re a better listener when you’re eating.” Niko chuckled as he dove in, famished from his tough training session that morning. “Ben once shared with me the most challenging thought he had to deal with during those times. Even though he loved the game, he wondered, Will this ever pay off? Though his future playing time didn’t look promising, he continued playing through his junior and senior seasons. And you know what happened?” “He got better and became the star of the team?” Niko said through a mouthful of pineapple pizza. Marco laughed. “Nope. This isn’t one of those stories. He still spent almost all his time on the bench, but he was determined to still make the team better. See, Ben found a way to lead with enthusiasm, connecting with his teammates and building an unparalleled level of grit. His teammates called him the ‘glue guy,’ the one who kept them all on the same page, working together. So, would you say it paid off for Ben?” He didn’t wait for Niko to answer. “If your criteria for payoff is the ‘short game’—increased playing time, becoming a starter—then no, it didn’t. But I’d argue that it did pay off in an even bigger way. Ben developed skills through playing on that team that many adults still struggle with today. He learned to sit with his Little Man lies. He learned to live with the self-doubt, the constant reminders of his inadequacies. He learned how to find joy in the process and in the success of others. He learned how to keep pushing himself, even when he wasn’t getting the results he was hoping for. Embracing these challenges shaped his character in ways short-game success would never be able to. He unlocked new levels of grit, teamwork, and execution that propelled him ahead in the long game.