Americans have always associated education with career success, and college grads earn 45% more than high school grads.

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And for freshly minted high school grads, it means the carefree days of sunshine and swimming pools--not to mention home-cooked meals--are numbered.

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Female high school grads work as cashiers, waitresses, retail salespeople and secretaries.

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Male high school grads become retail salespeople, laborers, cooks and truck drivers.

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According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for high school grads age 20 to 24 with no college under their belts was 17.9% in 2012, compared to 7.7% for those with college degrees.

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Community colleges like NOVA are incredibly important because they serve a varied group of learners, from recent high school grads seeking a pathway to a college degree, to adults seeking training for the jobs of tomorrow.

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The company hired a graphic designer who came back with the typically abstract, geometric cover designs that seem to mean high tech to art school grads.

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The two Harvard Business School grads moved from finance to fashion with BaubleBar, which sources jewelry from high-end designers and sells it on the cheap via the Web.

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Sales grew steadily but unspectacularly until five years ago or so, when Ferrand hired some young business school grads to peddle cognac across the country, using charity events, in-home tastings and high-profile sponsorships like the Houston Polo Club to target affluent consumers.

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