Skilled trades beat degree debt

When I was a 19-year-old college sophomore in 1982, my father gave me advice that makes even more sense for 19-year-olds today.

Despite his protestations, you see, I chose English as my major at Penn State. Worried about my ability to land a job, he begged me to at least minor in something practical.

I’m still the only person ever to graduate from Penn State with a major in English and a minor in...