Neilsen Foundation’s nudge more than economics
Published 12:00 am Sunday, November 29, 2009
Sometimes all it takes is a nudge to get people to do what they know they ought to do.
Today in Vicksburg, there are several thousand people who didn’t finish high school. Though many were capable, they didn’t “punch their ticket” to a better economic life for themselves and the families who will look to them for support or, importantly, to a deserved sense of accomplishment.
In an unprecedented way, the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation is providing a nudge for those who take the hint.
The foundation has given $50,000 cash to the Vicksburg Branch of Hinds Community College to pay $500 each to the next 100 local residents who earn their General Equivalency Diplomas through Hinds here.
The foundation bears the name of the man who built what is Ameristar today after inheriting his father’s interest in a Nevada roadside casino in 1971. Though a quadriplegic due to a 1985 automobile accident, Neilsen created what is now one of the largest gaming companies in the world. The foundation is substantial, owning more than half of the company’s stock, but the Neilsen family commitment to education is pretty big, too.
Co-chairman Ray Neilsen of Vicksburg, also the chairman of Ameristar, talked about that when the gift was presented, specifically about his college experience and the professor who awakened him to the value of learning, which should never be measured in dollars alone.
He wants that experience for others, Neilsen said, adding, “In Warren County, we have roughly 49,000 residents and 23 percent don’t have their degree. That’s something that we want to change.”
The public program is patterned after one put into place for Ameristar employees in 2004. So Neilsen knows it works.
There are very few employers who will take a second look at an applicant who doesn’t have a high school diploma or GED. Thanks to a nudge from the foundation, there will be fewer here who go through life without having a chance to show their abilities. The foundation’s gift should inspire us all.