History shows us that formalized education serves as the cornerstone of prosperous societies. In the United States, such education begins in the form of K-12 and sets the foundation upon which young adults build their lives. Although the quality of this education varies from community to community, the experience is a common thread shared by nearly all Americans raised in this country.

My government mandated K-12 experience was immediately followed by my parent mandated attendance at a four year college. I studied at a state university along with 40,000 of my closest friends for... however long it took me to graduate. Through the first couple of years, I partied a lot and studied very little. That changed when I took an entry level political science course with Professor Alana Northrop. She captured my imagination and in the process, helped kick start my passion for learning. I graduated with an undergraduate degree in political science.

Fast forward a few years and I began to think about enrolling in graduate business school. This time, nobody was looking over my shoulder telling me I had to be there. Just as importantly, nobody was helping me pay the bills. I was there because I wanted to learn and because I wanted to immerse myself in a collegial academic experience that I missed the first time around.

In retrospect, the personal time commitment and the sacrifices were a very small price to pay. I recall learning more in two years than I had in the previous ten. I learned from reading, writing, preparing, and presenting. While my professors guided the discussions, it was my peers who put everything into context. They offered real world examples and fresh perspectives. It was a wonderful learning experience because I truly wanted to be there.

This issue offers a number of compelling articles on the topic of education. We are most grateful to Dennis Prager for distilling a remarkable speech he gave in front of the Education Alliance into an article titled the Ten Nos of Education. We think you will also enjoy our interview with KABC's Larry Elder and our profile of long-time Orange County resident and current Ambassador to the United Nations Food Program in Rome, Gaddi Vasquez.

As always, we look forward to your e-mails and letters following the publication of each issue. It tells us we are doing our jobs and striking a nerve.

Enjoy and Fight On!






Scott W. Graves
Editor-in-Chief