I used to feel embarrassed about graduating from a trade school. But now my career is safe from AI.
A surgical technician shares her experience of choosing trade school over a traditional four-year university to avoid student debt and secure a career resistant to AI automation. She reflects on the societal pressure to attend college and the personal satisfaction found in a hands-on, essential profession.
Why it matters
The story reflects a growing cultural shift toward vocational training as a viable, debt-free alternative to higher education in an era of AI-driven job displacement.
Sade Slack says her job is safe from AI. Courtesy of Sade Slack Sade Slack chose trade school over a four-year college and became a surgical technician. She now has no student loan debt, but sometimes feels embarrassed for not attending college. She feels secure from AI because her job depends on reading people and reacting in real time. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Sade Slack, a 38-year-old surgical technician based in California. It has been edited for length and clarity. I entered high school with a heavy load of AP and honors classes . My middle school grades had put me on an accelerated track, and I pushed myself hard to keep up. By 10th grade, I was burned out . I came home from school and slept for hours just to recover. I obsessed over making A's.
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