Why Young People are the Heartland’s Most Precious Declining Resource and How it Matters for America Patrick Carr Rutgers University Maria Kefalas Saint Joseph’s University Photographs by Steven Schapiro

10. . 43.1 percent of respondents from in-depth interviews live in Ellis and Liberty County 30 percent living elsewhere in the state 26.9 percent having moved out of state 18 percent had no form of post-secondary education. Education Family Formation Work Social Background Leavers Seekers military, high school + mixture delayed entry assorted jobs various Achievers college + delayed professional, delayed children of elite, but some from less advantaged background Returners Boomerangs high school + traditional blue/pink collar, early entry similar background of “stayers”/ lower-status High Flyers college + mixture/ traditional professional children of elite Stayers Stayers high school or less traditional early entry, low-wage/ blue collar mostly male, lower-status

17. Basically, it’s one of those stories where I nailed every test growing up, and my brother struggled. So it was kind of predetermined, it’s just whatever we wanted to do, my family kind of understood that my interests would take me away, while I think they understood that my brothers and sisters would stay. - Charles, law student, Achiever, aged 25. My parents never expected [my sisters and me] to work in high school ‘cause we were involved in so many sports, so that maybe kind of steered us a little more towards college as opposed to kids that, you know, find a job and they stay here [in Ellis] and do that. – Angela, recent college grad, Achiever, aged 23.