Finance and Public Service: For Careers, It's Not Either-Or

To the editors:

As the assistant to the senior tutor of Quincy House, I spend a significant amount of time talking with seniors about their plans, or lack of plans, for after graduation. Many of these conversations center around peer pressure, family pressure and even internal pressure to follow the well-laid recruiting path to a job in consulting or investment banking.

While I can understand some of the reasons why so many choose to work in these highly-paid fields, I often wish that talented and creative Harvard students were more inclined to strike out in less-traveled directions. Thus I was happy when I began to read Jal Mehta's exhortation to his peers to consider using their intellects for the public good (Opinion, Oct. 16); it would be great to see more Harvard students continue their public service work after graduation.

However, Mehta describes a rather stark, either-or choice for graduating seniors: Make lots of money selling your soul to the devils of high finance or make no money while making the world a better place. He neglects to remind his readers that there is a third, albeit relatively unpublicized, possibility: Put your mind and skills to work in a field that will pay you reasonably, tap your creativity and expose you to worlds you haven't yet encountered. Some of these are for-profit, some could be called non-profit, but all have the potential to provide rewarding careers. A short list would include publishing, journalism, political organizing, foundation work, TV or radio production, software, product and graphic design and arts management.

Also, I must protest Mehta's gratuitous slap at the students of two of Harvard's graduate schools. While both the Kennedy School of Government and the Graduate School of Education have their share of "bleeding-heart liberals" (full disclosure: I'm proud to be a graduate of the Ed School), the vast majority of those graduate students are accomplished scholars and professionals from all over the United States and the world, with intellectual attainment that can stand up to any Harvard undergraduate's.

Indeed, many such students are graduates of Harvard College. These are exactly the people who should be "creating our public policy...[and] teaching our children." The world will be just as lucky to have them as it will be to have graduates of the College putting their talents to use in public service. CATHERINE MODICA   Oct. 19,1998