Growing Up in a Sea of Ignorance

Whenever I tell people where I grew up it goes something like this:

"Have you heard of Porterville California?  You haven't?  That's okay, I'd feel sorry if you had.  It's located between Fresno and Bakersfield, close to Visalia.  You don't know where that is?  It's at the base of the Sierra Nevada foothills.  You've never heard of that?  Have you noticed how, in the middle of California, there's this bowl like valley sounded by mountains?  You haven't?  Well, it's called the Central Valley, and I grew up in its southern end."

Okay, I don't always have to get that far into the explanation, but sometimes I've had to.

Why do I bring this up?  Last week I found circulating on Facebook an article on Forbes.com entitled, "The Most and Least Educated Cities in America."

The lists were put together by the financial site Wallet Hub, looking at America's 150 largest metros.  They took into account number of graduates with High School, associates degrees, etc, doctors in the area and other factors

Under the top 10 list at #4 is Provo, which is close to where I live.  That's pretty cool.  Guess I earned my B.A. in a pretty smart area.

So I guess that helps balance where I grew up.

Porterville may not have been counted, because it's more like a city town then a metro, but on the least educated city list is Visalia CA at #6, #7 is Bakersfield, and #10 is Fresno.  Porterville's in their midst.  And just above Fresno is Modesto, which made the least educated list at #5.  Central California really represents.

With all that being said, I have to say that I got a good education growing up, and I had excellent professors while attending Porterville College and College of the Sequoias in Visalia.

(As a side note, I took a picture of a map while at a gas station on the way to California last week, to show where I grew up.  Looking at it, seeing all the surrounding cities to Porterville, has made me a little reminiscent.  I miss those beautiful Sequoia trees.)