Over the weekend, I saw an article posted to The Washington Post about a book titled “Pedigree: How Elite Students Get Elite Jobs.”

The book itself is not what really got my attention, but rather the title of the article: “Why are working class kids less likely to get elite jobs? They study too hard at college.”

Hard work does not lead to less opportunity, in fact, it opens the door to so much more.

I am a “working class kid” and that has never meant that I had fewer opportunities than everyone else. My dad has worked hard his entire life and he instilled a strong work ethic in me.

Sure, everyone knows that having the right connections is always helpful for getting ahead, but so is hard work and knowing how to do your job well.

Suggesting that “studying too hard” is a bad thing and that “playing games” is the right way to get things done is what’s wrong with this country.

Hard work should never be looked at as a bad thing. Hard-working people are the people who built this country and who created the American dream. Articles like this only highlight the fact that the American dream is all but forgotten.

People today only see the value in money, and that’s the only thing they strive for. Few people initially choose a career path because it’s something that they genuinely want to do for the rest of their lives.

Many of those working class kids’ parents are much happier than the parents of kids who are more “elite.” I know that my father is very happy with all that he has done in his life and that he takes pride in the hard work that he’s done to make a better life for himself and for our family.

You should never underestimate a “working class kid.” Nine times out of ten, they know what it’s like to come from almost nothing and are willing to work that much harder to achieve everything that they want to in life.