The 200 jobs are listed based on the average top salary earned for the position. The list starts out with the job paying the highest amount (Surgeons) and ends with the position which pays the lowest amount (Dishwasher).

The list does not include celebrity and professional athlete jobs like actors, baseball players, singers, etc.

For individuals that are not interested in attending college, there are jobs that will be available in the future that will not require a 4 year college degree.

Below is a list of the occupations that are projected to hire the most employees between the years 2008 and 2018.

Katie Washington, a biological sciences major from Gary , Ind. , has been named valedictorian of the 2010 University of Notre Dame graduating class and will present the valedictory address during Commencement exercises May 16 (Sunday) in Notre Dame stadium.

Washington, who earned a 4.0 grade point average, has a minor in Catholic Social Teaching. She has conducted research on lung cancer at the Cold Spring Harbor labs and performed genetic studies in the University’s Eck Institute for Global Health on the mosquito that carries dengue and yellow fever. She is the co-author of a research paper with David Severson, professor of biological sciences.

Washington directs the Voices of Faith Gospel Choir at Notre Dame, is a mentor/tutor for the Sister-to-Sister program at South Bend’s Washington High School and serves as the student coordinator of the Center for Social Concerns’ “Lives in the Balance: Youth Violence and Society Seminar.”

She has definitely made her family proud and is following in their footsteps. Her father is a doctor, her mother and sister are nurses, one brother is completing his residency and another brother who works for British Petroleum.

Upon graduation, Washington plans to pursue a joint M.D./Ph.D program at Johns Hopkins University .

Harvard University has changed their student financial aid policy.

According to their website, their new financial aid policy has dramatically reduced the amount families with incomes below $180,000 are expected to pay, and parents of families with incomes below $60,000 are not expected to contribute at all to college costs.

They no longer consider home equity as a resource in our determination of a family contribution, and students are not expected to take out loans, which have been replaced by need-based Harvard scholarship.

This new program has reduced the cost to middle income families by one-third to one-half, making the price of a Harvard education for students on financial aid comparable to the cost of in-state tuition and fees at the nation’s leading public universities according to Harvard's Financial Aide office.

Raging is a recurring, drunken activity that requires consuming large quantities of alcohol before or at a party, and then the night could end in making out with a stranger or acquaintance.

These kind of casual hook ups fueled by alcohol are the norm at many college campuses. Unfortunately, there are emotional devastation experiences for many students that are into these hook ups.

Some students even have their hearts broken by the hook-up scene. This will happen when one person expects more to come from the hook up.

The term "hook up" is ambiguous, usually defined as a no-commitment, physical encounter with a stranger or acquaintance. Hooking up can range from just a make-out session all the way to sex. Other lingo for the no-commitment sexual encounters are "booty calls" or "friends with benefits."

There is a Jennifer Nicholas who had sex while experiencing a friends with benefits relationship with a guy. When she was 22, she was at the doctor's office and was told, "Surprise! You've got herpes."

Too many people trust their friend without really knowing their sexual history. Since everything about a person's sexual history is rarely shared, a false comfort level can be created that often times leads to unsafe sex. This is how Jennifer Nicolas caught herpes from her friends with benefits relationship.

Unsafe sex should not take place without STD (sexually transmitted diseases) testing. The testing only takes minutes and the costs are inexpensive.

This could be the difference between a lifetime disease like herpes or a deadly disease like HIV/Aids.

Friends that do not understand a position of no hook ups unless there is romance and traditional dating are probably only a friend because they want the benefits without the commitment. At the same time, there are some people that do not respect themselves enough or have low self esteem that will make them feel as though friends with benefits are cool.

Many people in Maryland feel that they have more in common with Northern states than Southern states today.

Lawmakers have successfully petitioned to move from the Southern Region of the Council of State Governments to the Eastern Region. This will allow Maryland to trade ideas with other Eastern Region states like New York and Pennsylvania.

The council is a place where states within the same region can share ideas on issues suck as transportation, public security, environment, etc. Switching regions does not happen often; however, Missouri switched to the Southern Region from the Midwestern Region back in 1994.

Some residents of the state feel as though Maryland has a makeup of the South and the North. Politically, the state is a solid blue state with Democrats outnumbering Republicans 2 to 1.

Three school teachers are accused of giving children pictures of Dennis Rodman, Rupaul, and O.J. Simpson to display during a parade honoring Black History Month.

The Superintendent has placed the three white male teachers on leave during the investigation. The teachers teach 1st, 2nd, and 4th grade at Wadsworth Avenue Elementary School in South Los Angeles.

There were other students that carried pictures of traditional black heroes such as Harriet Tubman as well as leaders of today like President Obama.

Complaints were made to the NAACP and they contacted the school district.

It is difficult to understand why the three teachers choose the two athletes and an entertainer. These three while successful in their chosen fields are not necessarily the kind of people most African Americans want their kids emulating or even honoring during Black History Month.

Even though most African Americans would never choose these three men to represent the best and the brightest of African Americans, the teachers probably have a right to promote them since there were no school policies in place which specified the individuals that could be selected for the kids to display during the parade.

Michael Jackson also had his picture displayed during the parade. Many will argue that he also had a fall from the top or a history that was questionable.

At this point, it is probably best to say that it is premature on the part of those folks that are calling for the teachers to be fired. It is probably more important to put a policy in place to make sure that displaying the photos of African Americans like Rodman, Rupaul, and Simpson never happens again.

The President wants to make sure that students attending primary and secondary education schools are either career or college ready when they finish high school.

Obama told a gathering of the nation's governors at the White House that students in the U.S. lag behind by several crucial measures. For example, eighth-grade students rank ninth in the world in math and 11th in science.

He also mentioned that business owners have told him too many young adults do not have the necessary skills to be effective in the job when hired.

Since so many American students do not successfully complete high school and they are not interested in college, it will be great to prepare these students for emerging industry jobs that do not require a college degree. To complete globally, students that are interested in college will need to be better prepared to effectively compete against global competition.

What will America do about the students who grow up in poverty. All indicators show that this group of students make up the largest share of students that do not finish high school.

Even though children make up 25% of the total population in America, they are 35% of the poor population in the country according to the National Poverty Center.

If the Presidents new proposals do not focus on why the poor have fared poorly in education when compared to middle class and wealthier students, will these new proposals and investments make a difference?

Over the years, politicians have talked about increasing education funding for those students at the pre-k and kindergarten level. This will help, but what about all the kids that start falling behind in elementary and middle school. The support of parents which too many students do not have is a big part of the equation which is not being discussed.

Police said they've arrested a teenager who caused thousands of dollars in damage to a western New York home's hardwood floor by break dancing on it while wearing a large diamond belt buckle.

Erie County Sheriff Timothy B. Howard said the 18-year-old named R. Baczkiewicz apparently was intoxicated when he arrived at a house party held by the victim's daughters in Elma, a small town just east of Buffalo. He said when the teen repeatedly tried to break dance he gouged the floor and caused about $3,000 worth of damage.

Police said the victim (homeowner) was on vacation at the time.

A sheriff's deputy arrested the teen Sunday night at his home in neighboring Cheektowaga, a Buffalo suburb.

Baczkiewicz was charged with criminal mischief in the second degree, a class D felony, and criminal trespass in the second degree, a class A misdemeanor. He was taking to the Holding Center on no bail, pending his arraignment in the Town of Elma Court.

It is necessary to point out that the defendant is Caucasian so this not necessarily a racist arrest. However, there is a certain amount of hatred for the Hip-Hop culture and you have to wonder if the police that arrested the young man have anything against the this culture in general and the people associated with it in particular.

When times become tough and money needs to be saved, some politicians will propose what would have been unthinkable when the economy was healthy. Some in the state of Utah have started thinking about eliminating the 12th grade reports the Los Angeles Times.

Are teenagers ready for the real world at 17 years of age? Aside from the money saved, what are the other benefits and possible costs associated with eliminating 12th grade? Could this be the start of a new movement in the United States?

Remember that America is already closer to the bottom than the top when it's education system is compared to other developed and wealthy nations. It would be important to know if dropping 12th grade would improve the education experience for those young adults affected.

A 61 year old New Yorker faces a $135 traffic fine for using a mannequin as her "plus one" in the car pool lane for vehicles with multiple passengers during rush hour on the Long Island Expressway in New York.

A sheriff's deputy on Long Island became curious when he saw the passenger wearing sunglasses and using the visor. According to the officer, the problem is that the sky was overcast.

When the officer stopped the vehicle, he found the mannequin, fully dressed with a long dark wig, blazer, shirt and scarf.

One can only wonder if this was worth it for the driver. It really depends on how long the driver used the mannequin in order to drive in the fast lane versus the $135ticket as well as any other damage to her drivers license.

Most coaches have the best intentions of their players at heart. There are some coaches that have ulterior motives. All coaches have to be viewed with a certain amount of vigilance by parents.

Some coaches have too much access to kids at times. They may offer to drive a child home from practice which is convenient for busy parents. Even though the coach may drop off many players after practice, the last player being dropped off could give a coach with molesting tendencies private time with a child.

Veteran Compton high school coach (20 years at Dominguez High School and 5 state championships) Russell Otis has been sentenced to 60 days in county jail, placed on three years' probation and ordered to undergo a year of sex offender counseling.

Mr. Otis, who is 47 years old, was convicted last year of a misdemeanor charge of child molestation for subjecting a former player to a barrage of text messages that the player testified was sexual in nature.

Even a former player for Russell Otis at Dominguez High testified about his experiences many years earlier with the coach. -Read former player takes the stand.

Fortunately for young basketball players in Compton, CA, Mr. Otis also will have to register as a sex offender. This will bar him from teaching or coaching again. He plans to appeal the decision according to his attorney.

Police say 3 teens were arrested after they sent a naked photo of a 14-year-old girl in a text message. This is a situation that took place in Thurston County which is located in the state of Washington.

When juveniles are engaged in certain types of sexual crimes, they could possibly have to register as sex offenders. This would be for the most serious sanctions if they are found guilty.

The mother of the 14-year-old girl whose naked picture was shared said that out of a lack of self esteem and confusion, she sent her then-boyfriend a naked picture of herself.

The mother also believes that her daughter was looking for someone to care about her and love her.

One week after she broke up with her boyfriend, police say a group of female students convinced the ex-boyfriend into texting them the photo. This is when the text with the photo went viral.

In one day, students were forwarding the text, and it had been received by students at four middle schools.

Children have to be educated on the dangers of becoming involved in criminal activity which appears to be fun but could actually ruin their lives. Furthermore, children need parents to speak with them about the risks that can come from sharing personal and private things with best friends, boyfriends, and girlfriends which could be used against them if the relationship ended.

Montana Lance, a 9 nine old fourth grader went to see the school nurse. He then went into the restroom, locked the door and hung himself. This is a real tragedy.

For many people, they cannot imagine kids this young even contemplating suicide. Between the years 1999 through 2006, there have been 33 suicides by kids with the age range of 5 to 9 years old reported CNN.com.

It is very important to pay attention to mood swings of children. It is also relevant to take note if your child is isolating himself much more than usual.

It does not matter whether the kids committed suicide are black or white. The suicide for both both races of children are startling and growing.

Donna Barnes, co-founder of the National Organization for People of Color Against Suicide stated that many Black people consider themselves strong people that can deal with their problems, and do not have time for depression.

Statistics help feed the fiction that black teens do not kill themselves. Whites who are 15 to 19 years old are twice as likely to kill themselves as their black counterparts. These statistics do not tell the complete story.

From 1980 to 1995, the suicide rate among black boys age 15 to 19 jumped 128 percent while it only increased by just 19 percent for white boys in the same age range, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although it has declined some since then, suicide is the third leading cause of death among young black males.

This is an issue that must taken seriously and it should not be ignored.

For the most part, men of color do not know how to respond when stopped by the police while they are going about their daily life legally. In too many cases, a police officer will stop an innocent person for some reason or another and the person ends up arrested.

Many times, a person is arrested because the officer did not like the fact that the person they stopped is questioning the approach and appropriateness of the racial profiling. Expressing one's frustration when a police officer pulls you other and voicing displeasure is both okay and legal. However, an officer that is controlling and does not like the way you question their authority can arrest you on a number of charges. The main one seems to be the very vague disorderly conduct charges.

It would be great to see African American and Latino politicians address this issue with organizations like NAPO (National Association of Police Organizations) or IUPA (Internatonal Union Of Police Associatons)in order to come up with standards on the best ways for men of color to respond to profiling stops when they have not committed any crime.

In the meantime, the ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) has developed a printable set of guidelines when racial profiling takes place. The information may not be perfect, but it gives one an idea of how to handle these situations when they are stopped by the police. Read Guidelines

The guidelines are saved as a PDF file and one would need a PDF reader which is available for free if it is not already installed on the computer being used. Here is a link to a free and popular PDF reader called Acrobat Reader - Download File

The Arkansas Times reports on Will Phillips, an elementary school student who refuses to say the pledge of allegiance in school because of discrimination against gay people:

"I've always tried to analyze things because I want to be lawyer," Will said. "I really don't feel that there's currently liberty and justice for all."

After asking his parents whether it was against the law not to stand for the pledge, Will decided to do something. On Monday, Oct. 5, when the other kids in his class stood up to recite the pledge of allegiance, he remained sitting down. The class had a substitute teacher that week, a retired educator from the district, who knew Will's mother and grandmother. Though the substitute tried to make him stand up, he respectfully refused. He did it again the next day, and the next day.


A columnist for the Arkansas News has stood up for Phillips against his angry substitute teacher. Predictably, fellow students have taunted the kid and called him a "gaywad," but he says he doesn't see his quiet act of protest ending any time soon.

As we all know, there is often honor in doing what one believes in right, just even when it is at odds with the majority.

The AP reported that in Hamilton, OH a young Cincinnati Bengals fan has been penalized for clipping. Dustin Reader got the NFL team's stripes and "B" insignia cut into his hair as a tribute to the team's good season. When he showed up to school in the southwest Ohio city of Hamilton on Monday, officials put the eighth-grader into in-school suspension. The school said its code of conduct prohibits extreme and distracting hairstyles.

Reader's parents and barber said they don't understand why the haircut is out of bounds. His father said his son just wants to show pride in the 6-2 Bengals.

School officials said he will continue to do his studies away from other students until the hair grows back or he changes the style.

An African American teenager named Tony Hansberry II is only in ninth grade, and he has developed a new technique for sewing up hysterectomy patients. The technique for patients after hysterectomies stands to reduce the risk of complications and simplify the tricky procedure for less-seasoned surgeons. - Read Story

Derrius Quarles is an example of how we can overcome adversity and not allow our personal story to impact us negatively. It is possible to become more than your circumstances dictate if you desire more from life. As long as people are willing to work hard, study hard, play hard, and not allow temporary setbacks to become long term obstacles, people will have a very good chance to have the best life possible.

CBS did a story on this young man and they reported that he received $1,150,000 in college scholarship money to be exact. Quarles is a graduate of Kenwood High School who was offered $755,000 from nearly a dozen colleges, which he turned down. He accepted $355,000 in scholarships and will now attend Morehouse College. He earned all of this while being a ward of the state.

"My father was killed in this city when I was four years old and I was taken away from my mother shortly after that. My mother had a drug problem," he said.

To say he has succeeded against huge odds is almost an understatement. Quarles credits his success to his determination to go to college, his ability to accept his past, and not use it as an excuse. - Read Story


In life, there will always be exceptions from the norm. How to make this kind of story the norm instead of the exception is what Brothers Connected and its community is determined to figure out.

The Daily news has reported that 1 out of every 5 students at PS 636 located in Brooklyn, NY are homeless. Fortunately, the school was able to hold on to a grant from the Federal government that allows some students to attend an after school program until 6 PM. This is fortunate because they obviously need the after school program and many schools are being asked to scale back on these programs due to the deep recession the country is experiencing. - Read Story

The real issue is why are these kind of stories typically written about minority students one decade after another decade. What changes need to take place in the communities and within the families for these poor students so that they do not become adults that are reading about students of color in the same situation 25 years from today?

Sometimes it really seems as though the more things change, the more they stay the same. For example, not many people would have imagined that is 2005, the United States would have an African American President if they were asked 25 years ago; however, African Americans and Latinos were at the bottom of the economic ladder in this country in 1984 as well as 2009.