The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines “nepotism” as the practice among those with power or influence of favoring relatives, friends, or associates, especially by giving them jobs. Over the past years, many colleges and universities have come out to the public stating that many schools prefer to carry on legacies within the realm of just that family line.

At Air Academy High School, many students have the opportunity to go to Ivy league institutions because of past legacy with family members. There is also the benefit of many students who go to AAHS whose parents are in the military on base. Some students may wonder why this nepotism chain plays a factor in students’ accessibility into a higher education, athletics, and even job opportunities once finished with high school. 

Grant Rodney is an Air Academy alumni who is currently playing college lacrosse Lehigh University.

“I am very appreciative of the opportunities my parents have helped me with in recruiting. However, all the opportunities I got were because of me because I was the one playing lacrosse not my parents,” Rodney shared.

While, the word nepotism may sound like a negative word in society nowadays, many people would like to argue that nepotism is not such a bad concept for people who have access to the opportunities given to them. 

“I don’t come from a nepotistic family but more or less a competitive one. … I was raised into a society where if you have the access to get ahead of others you take those chances and don’t look back,” sophomore Lydia Moore stated.

However, many people without the nepotistic style of life may argue that having opportunities given to them without even having to work for those opportunities is unfair and should be addressed more. 

“My sister is in college right now and when she lived in the house with us she never had to work a day in her life. … Now that I’m working I see the unfair treatment from my parents and my sister still doesn’t have to get a job in college because of my parents,” said junior Trey Norhenburg. 

Although there are many different scenarios with nepotism being related, it seems that academics is the biggest issue with nepotism nowadays. 

“When I was applying to colleges I was told by various teachers and counselors that I could go to the Ivy league. When it came down to finding out where I got accepted into, I got rejected from the 3 Ivy leagues I did apply to. … I’m saying it’s unfair to people without the higher status and connections,” senior Lexi Wurmstein stated.

Nepotism has been around for decades and is being revolutionized into somewhat of a negative connotation. Society is ever-changing, and with that, people are adapting to work environments, athletic scholarships, academic mentions, and so much more. With this being said, it can be hard for many people to get such high accolades without nepotism playing a huge factor into it. The propaganda-driven nature of nepotism should not stop anyone out there from accomplishing their dreams. Instead, nepotism should be more addressed and taken into consideration before giving someone an exceptional opportunity.