If the unraveling of the Epstein files tells us anything, it’s that many can be so blinded by the chase for status and wealth that they forgo morals. Penn students are no exception. In fact, as evidenced by a number of Penn affiliates’ appearance in the files, the University seems to be an incubator for this mentality.
Penn attracts extremely motivated and ambitious students, but at times that attitude encourages morals to be sacrificed for success. Every year, Penn students agonize over prestigious internships in consulting and finance. Combined with the pressures of being accepted into preprofessional clubs, networking, and maintaining a good GPA, students have become trapped in this unhealthy environment. While the University may not promote this behavior outwardly, it has created these conditions where morals take a back seat — and has produced alumni who exemplify this belief.
One notorious case is 2013 Wharton graduate Charlie Javice, who lied about the number of customers served by her start-up in a multi-million dollar sale to JP Morgan. She received a seven year federal prison sentence for committing fraud. Javice demonstrates how ambition and the constant striving for success can lead to dire outcomes.
We can’t forget Elon Musk, a 1997 College and Wharton graduate, who enriched himself by exploiting workers at his Tesla factories. And perhaps the most notable Penn alum is 1968 Wharton graduate and President Donald Trump, who has done irreparable harm to our country, whether that be stoking nationalist fervor, unjustly incarcerating immigrants, or inciting the Jan. 6 riots. Both these men are billionaires, who are immoral individuals that have damaged countless lives.
Javice, Musk, and Trump, are extreme examples of Penn alumni. Still, many Penn graduates end up working in the same field that they worked in. The latest Post Graduate Outcomes report found that 38% of the Class of 2025 Penn graduates are working in finance or consulting. A good number of them also work historically problematic companies. A top employer of Penn graduates is McKinsey, an elite consulting firm that played a role in the opioid crisis. Another is JPMorgan, a banking institution that played a role in causing the 2008 financial crisis.
When I attended George Washington University as an undergraduate student, there was, similarly, a strong culture of preprofessionalism, which in hindsight I certainly fed into. I wanted to work in security policy — a field that is held in high regard in terms of D.C.’s professional spaces. But I soon realized pursuing that path meant I would be working in a field where I would have to constantly read, watch, and analyze some of the darkest acts of human behavior. That’s when I decided I wanted to work in advocacy, a career where I could know with certainty that I was working toward a better future for all.
I’ve had quite a few friends who have worked at renowned companies like Deloitte, Boston Consulting Group, and Morgan Stanley. All of them complained about late work hours, lack of passion in their work, and disregard from supervisors. Most of them either left after less than two years or changed careers completely.
Take it from me: your first job out after graduating isn’t going to determine your happiness for the rest of your life, but it will help determine what you value in your life and career. I challenge you to think about what happens after you get that prestigious job and consider what kind of life you want to live. Don’t let Penn, your peers, or recruiters sell you false dreams of a perfect and fulfilling life in these fields. Take the initiative and create the life you want after graduation.
Penn administration too should strive to create a student culture of advancing social good, honesty, and service. I believe the University can do this through a service requirement, an ethics course requirement, and highlighting alumni who work toward social change. Penn’s motto — “laws without morals are useless” — should guide its culture and be reflected in the achievements of its alumni.
KAMAU LOUIS is a first-year graduate student studying City Planning from Orlando, Fla. His email is louis3@upenn.edu.
