Every fall, the same debate resurfaces. Trades or college. The way it’s framed is misleading. Students are told they’re “not school material,” so they’re pushed toward trades. Others are labeled “academic,” so college becomes their only option. That mindset limits everyone. Trades aren’t the easy route. College isn’t the only badge of success.
As CEO of SP Grace and creator of The College Smarter™ Method, Dr. Carmen Bell-Ross sees that the real work is helping students uncover what kind of future they want and then building the education and training that match it. Otherwise, we keep raising adults who settle for tolerable work while waiting for retirement to finally do what they love.
Start with Identity, Then Choose the Path
High-school students spend most of their lives being directed. What to wear. Where to go. How to behave. Then, almost overnight, they’re expected to decide what to do with the rest of their lives. It’s the first major independent choice they’ll make, and it’s one that carries long-term consequences. Most make it without the guidance or the self-understanding it deserves.
Dr. Carmen sees that as the root problem. With her background, she helps students find clarity before they choose a path. Her College Smarter™ Method links their values, interests, and skills to real-world directions. Once purpose becomes the anchor, the rest aligns.
Research backs her concern. Roughly one-third of college students change majors within three years, showing how many chose before they had clarity. According to another 2025 report, 72 percent of young adults feel unprepared to make career decisions after high school. That lack of confidence, she notes, doesn’t come from laziness or disinterest. It comes from being taught to chase milestones instead of meaning.
Too often, adults use language that unintentionally narrows possibilities. When we tell a young person they’re “not college material,” what we’re really saying is that we haven’t shown them where they fit in the bigger picture. That single phrase can redirect a lifetime of potential. Reframing how we talk about success, seeing both trades and academia as equally honorable, equally complex, is where real change begins.
College + Certification: A Smarter Hybrid
Her daughter, Ciera, captures this idea in motion. The summer before junior year at Harvard, she trained as an EMT. Not to polish her resume but to build confidence and deepen empathy. That single step aligns perfectly with Dr. Carmen’s view of career prep. Imagine an engineer who has spent time on the shop floor or a doctor who’s handled real emergency care. They carry a balance of head and hand that books alone can’t give. Studies on EMT training show clear gains in judgment, teamwork, and patient awareness. Those same traits make better leaders in any field.
This hybrid path, pairing degrees with certifications, also reflects national data. Career and Technical Education programs are linked to stronger high-school outcomes and smoother transitions into college or work. For many students, combining both paths turns learning into confidence and earning power into stability.
She points out that many of today’s fastest-growing industries blend academic and technical skills. A renewable-energy specialist, for instance, might need the analytical reasoning of a physicist and the hands-on skill of a technician. The future belongs to hybrid thinkers, people who understand how learning connects across disciplines.
Dr. Carmen sees this blend as the future. College and trades stop being opposing sides of a debate. They become parts of the same ecosystem – different vehicles for the same destination.
What This Changes for Families and Schools
When guidance begins with identity, students stop defining themselves by what they’re not. They learn to see trades, college, and hybrid routes as tools. Families gain relief because direction replaces confusion. Teachers and counselors gain new language for purpose, not pressure.
At SP Grace, Dr. Carmen applies the same belief across her leadership programs. Whether she’s coaching high school students or senior executives, the message stays consistent: purpose builds adaptability. Once people understand their story, they can enter any environment without losing themselves.
Dr. Carmen often says the most rewarding part of her work isn’t the acceptance letter, it’s the moment a student finally believes they belong in the story they’re writing. After decades of guiding families, she’s seen confidence become the true currency of opportunity.
Her mission continues to grow as conversations about workforce readiness evolve nationwide. Career development can’t exist without emotional development. Students need frameworks that link learning to identity. That’s how we stop treating education as a race and start treating it as preparation for a meaningful life.
Dr. Carmen continues to build that bridge between trades and academia. The “false choice” was never really about college or trades, it was about how narrowly we’ve defined success. Dr. Carmen’s message to educators, parents, and students alike is clear: the real measure of education isn’t the path itself but the purpose that guides it.
About Dr. Carmen Bell-Ross
Dr. Carmen Bell-Ross, founder of SP Grace, is a leadership consultant and workforce development specialist with over 20 years of experience empowering people through professional development and executive coaching. Recognized by Rolling Stone, Fast Company, and Forbes for her innovative contributions, she brings dual doctoral studies and a proven record of success to her work. Her College Smarter™ Method helps students stand out in the competitive college application process by showcasing their authentic selves in an elevated way. Transform your student’s college journey at: CollegeSmarter.com
