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Imagine how different things might be if Thomas Edison had given up on inventing the lightbulb.

He easily could have, after failing 1,000 times. Or if Michael Jordan had quit basketball after he was cut from his high school team. Think of growing up in world without “The Cat in the Hat” or “Green Eggs and Ham” if Dr. Seuss had stopped trying to get published after being rejected more than 25 times.

It was an unwavering spirit of perseverance, determination and grit that helped propel these icons to success in ways that changed the world. They are qualities that were deeply rooted in them as individuals – qualities to be admired.

These same qualities are also deeply rooted in the people of Northeastern Pennsylvania. They greatly contributed to our past success as a coal region and will drive our future success as we continue to work hard to capitalize on our strengths.

One area where we have done a great job of this is by expanding our identity as a college town. On top of the many great colleges, universities and technical schools, the addition of professional schools such as Geisinger Commonwealth Medical School and The Wright Center for Graduate Education has been a boon for our region.

A well-educated workforce is critical to the future of any community, and we are lucky to have so many institutions of higher education locally that are helping to fill our workforce and contribute to our regional economy.

While most of these schools were initially founded to educate local students, they also now serve as importers of talent to the region. People come from all over the world to study and work at the colleges and universities in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Many of these students will remain in the region upon graduation and continue to contribute their skills to our workforce and invest in our communities.

These institutions are also important economic drivers, as they employ more than 3,300 people in Luzerne County alone. The total economic impact ripple effect merely from this employment pumps roughly 418 million dollars back into the region’s economy – a number that does not even include student spending.

There are many other reasons to embrace and celebrate all that our higher education community contributes to the region. The energy and vibrancy that surround even small college towns is unmistakable. Our lives are richer for the art, music, cultural opportunities, restaurants and sporting events we can take advantage of because they are here.

Helen Keller once said that the only thing worse than being blind was being able to see but not having any vision. As a region we have all the reason in the world to have hope and a bright vision for our future if we open our eyes. We have many strengths and we’ve got what it takes to capitalize on them.

Remembering where we came from will be an important part of our success. Grit, perseverance and determination are in our genes. As Dr. Seuss wrote, “You’re off to great places today is your day, your mountain is waiting so get underway.”

If anyone can move mountains, it is the fine people of Northeastern Pennsylvania. And like Michael Jordan, we can and we will just do it.

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Susan Magnotta

Institute Insights

Susan Magnotta is Director of Community Outreach at The Institute. Her column appears every other Monday.