Hillbilly Elegy

There are other things we can do. We
can build policies based on a better
understanding of what stands in the way
of kids like me. The most important
lesson of my life is not that society
failed to provide me with opportunities.
My elementary and middle schools were
entirely adequate, staffed with teachers
who did everything they could to reach
me. Our high school ranked near the
bottom of Ohio’s schools, but that had
little to do with the staff and much to do
with the students. I had Pell Grants and
government-subsidized low-interest
student loans that made college
affordable, and need-based scholarships
for law school. I never went hungry,