Who's To Blame???

Today in class we talked a lot about where to place the blame concerning unmotivated students like "Frank." If the student feels that literacy is not a necessity for their future it's extremely hard to convince them to continue in their studies. There's only so much a teacher can do to inspire his or her students, the rest is really up to them. What about individuals who do in fact need literary ability in their future yet still find themselves unmotivated? I was recently faced with this exact dilemma. My friend is a Junior in college studying journalism and wants to drop out. She receives a large amount of financial aid due to her background but it is this same background that makes her question school. Her father graduated from a prestigious university and did nothing with his life. My friend questions the impact her degree will hold. She asked me, "is the cost worth it?" I was quite frustrated with her at the time seeing as I will be drowning in debt when I graduate whereas she will have an extremely reasonable amount to pay off no problem. She then told me of her idea to quit school, apply for internships, and tell employers she didn't feel like finishing school, they'd understand money wise. If that didn't work she'd contact a relative living in Germany to help her find work, as a nanny most likely in Germany, how exciting! She was actually considering this! I responded by telling her that there was no way she would get a journalism job without a degree and that they would not be understanding of her financial "woes." I also told her she already put in three years to be a journalist did she really want to settle for a nanny? I tried my hardest but I knew at the end of our conversation she still wasn't sure staying in school was the right choice. When someone has their mind set in a certain direction it is almost impossible to alter it. THEY have to realize their mistakes and want to change THEMSELVES. As a future teacher, I hope that I can be more motivating to my students than I was to my friend but it will be one of the hardest tasks I will face.