By Colleen Davis, Delaware State Treasurer
July 29, 2025
Close your eyes and visualize college. What do you see? Most people would say classrooms, lectures, textbooks, essays, tests. Some might jump ahead to the last day, wearing a cap and gown and holding a diploma. Others might visualize a lush, green quad with students studying and socializing. Or you might see the opportunities to play sports, take part in activism, or – let’s be honest – party the night away.
The truth is that a higher education can encompass all these things and more – blending the people, the ideas, and the challenges we encounter into a mold that shapes us as people. With that in mind, I’d like to share some of the lessons I’ve gained from my own educational experiences.
Your Major Doesn’t Define Your Life
College is a great way to prepare for a career – but it doesn’t lock you into a rigid path. When I went to college for molecular biology, no one (including me) imagined I’d one day go into public finance.
As an undergrad, when I wasn’t in class or at soccer practice, I worked nights in the library. My job was to process inter-library loans – pulling books off the shelves and shipping them all over the world. In doing so, I started to expand my horizons as I was exposed to knowledge well outside the focus of my studies. It stimulated my curiosity and made me realize how much more there was out there to learn.
After graduating, I went to work as a scientific researcher for a biologics company. As exciting as the lab could be, I quickly realized that I needed more direct human connection in my career. So back to school I went for a master’s program to become a physician associate. Still no sign of public finance! That came much later.
It’s Not Just What You Know – It’s How You Think
Vital though it was for me to learn about cells, DNA, human physiology, and so on if I was going to be a molecular biologist, I gained far more value in school from learning how to think like a scientist.
Research isn’t something you can do on Google. It’s a process of developing hypotheses, figuring out how to test them accurately and effectively, and then interpreting your results. A good researcher doesn’t start with an answer – she starts with a question, she’s willing to challenge her own assumptions, and she follows the data wherever it leads.
But even students who don’t study science learn critical thinking – perhaps the greatest life skill of all. When you learn to think critically, you can solve problems that go far beyond work or school. It unleashes your mind to consider what’s working, what isn’t, and what to do about it. And when you surround yourself with other critical thinkers who are willing to challenge you as well as themselves, you can truly make magic together.
Today, with so much information accessible at a moment’s notice, it’s not as important as it once was to memorize every fact and formula. What matters is learning how to evaluate the facts in front of you in ways that foster understanding, innovation, and progress.
Leadership Is More Than Giving Orders
As a student athlete, I was just one player on the soccer team, but I was drawn to a leadership role. And in the process, I discovered that there were so many paths other than my own to reaching a common goal – like, say, scoring a goal.
Our team was a blend of people with different personalities, ages, life experiences, and priorities – and we all had to pull in the same direction. Of course, I quickly found that not everyone was going to do it my way. Instead, I learned to create space for my teammates to do the things they excelled at so that we could win together.
Leadership is about sharing accountability, creating mutual understanding, and putting your teammates in position to succeed. But reading it on this blog only does so much – you must go out and have those experiences for yourself.
Final Thoughts
More than degrees or credentials, my education has shaped how I think, how I work with others, and how I approach my duties as a leader. It has taught me to ask tough questions and to keep expanding my horizons. As much as I’ve learned about medicine, business, and finance, I could not have applied it nearly as effectively if not for these skills I picked up along the way.
That’s why I believe so strongly in the value of higher education – and why I work hard to make it more accessible. As a parent of three in Delaware, I know personally what it’s like to be intimidated by the cost of college. It’s never been more important to start saving for college as soon as possible, and I’m proud to facilitate my state’s 529 plan, which helps families get ahead of all those expenses.
You don’t have to know exactly where your children’s education will take them, but when you give them the chance to learn, grow, and forge their own paths, the possibilities are truly endless.
About the author:
Colleen C. Davis has served as Delaware’s State Treasurer since 2019, focusing on three main priorities: bolstering retirement security and readiness through Delaware’s DEFER and EARNS programs, creating pathways to economic empowerment through plans such as DE529 and DEpendABLE, and promoting a culture of financial excellence. Treasurer Davis currently serves on the CSPN Executive Board.