Wow. I hate to continue the trend of commenting on depressing stories about the state of education in America today, but when I stumbled across this beauty, I couldn’t resist.

From a column in Newsweek by this woman who worked as a hired paper-writer for spoiled rich kids:

For three years, I was an academic prostitute. I
ruined the curve for the honest and ensured that the wealthiest, and
often stupidest, students earned the highest marks. I was a
professional paper-writer.

It’s appalling. And what got me most was her comment at the end, complaining about how this whole experience had made her question her self-worth and damaged her self-respect.

Was she actually looking for some pity from us?

I’ve always had a sort of philosophical view about cheaters. Yes, a few may have ruined some curves for me in college and high school, but, ultimately, I believe they’re doing themselves a whole lot more harm than me. And, eventually, many (most?) of them will pay the price for it. I also believe, if they’re caught, they should be punished to the greatest extent possible. In cases like this, there is little hope for these kids. They come from privileged families who obviously don’t value learning or education. But this woman knows better; I find it impossible to justify her choice to pursue this line of work, and certainly impossible to feel sorry for her.