Many people think of asthma as a disability that limits you from being an active member of society. This is not the case at all, in fact many people with asthma become professional athletes or really enjoy sports. For instance, Dennis Rodman has asthma, as did John F. Kennedy. Asthma shouldn’t prohibit you from doing anything someone without asthma can do. As long as you are prepared and keep an inhaler nearby, you should live life just like everyone else. Asthma is no fun, but there are worse things and you can still be in great shape with asthma.

Physiotherapy treatment for – amputee rehabilitation, asthma management, cardiac surgery recovery, chronic airways disease, Down syndrome, geriatric care, lower back pain and neurological conditions.

An interesting idea that someone once came up with is the asthma camp. They are large camps that focus on helping young children see that they can be active and social with asthma. They learn that it isn’t a life depriving illness. I thought it was sad that recently an asthma camp in Utah was shut down because the H1N1 virus had spread to many kids. What would be worse, having asthma or H1N1? My gut tells me the flu, but you’d have to ask the unfortunate campers.

Nearly every college out there has its token celebrity. Some colleges, however, put out an uncanny number of them. We researched lists of notable alumni at the nation’s colleges and counted how many really famous stars each has put out. Following is our top five, star-producing schools: 

1. New York University – Boasting more Academy Award winners among its alumni than any other university, NYU has long been an incubator for future film and TV stars. Check out this impressive list of alumni (and this doesn’t count lesser known but still successful stars): Alec Baldwin, Kristen Bell, Selma Blair, James L. Brooks, Billy Crystal, John Cusack, Bridget Fonda, Gina Gershon, Whoopi Goldberg, Anne Hathaway, Ethan Hawke, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Bryce Dallas Howard, Felicity Huffman, auteurs Ang Lee and Spike Lee, Debra Messing, Jerry O’Connell, Ashley Olsen, Mary Kate Olsen, Haley Joel Osment, Meg Ryan, Adam Sandler, Andy Samberg, Martin Scorsese, and M. Night Shyamalan. Also among alumni are recording super-mogul Clive Davis and 67-and-still-sexy Neil Diamond. Whew!

2. Harvard University– Coming in a distant second place, Harvard U apparently isn’t just about that stuffy law and business stuff. Their alumni include: Tatyana Ali, The Fountain director Darren Aronofsky, The Fast and the Furious director Rob Cohen, Tommy Lee Jones, Jack Lemmon, John Lithgow, New World director Terrence Malick, Conan O’Brien, Natalie Portman, Elisabeth Shue, Mira Sorvino, and Glory director Edward Zwick.

3. Columbia University – Not counting two presidents, six Supreme Court Justices, four Founding Fathers, and many senators, Columbia has produced more than its fair share of successful stars. Ben Stein, Amanda Peet, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Matthew Fox, Julia Stiles, Anna Paquin, Famke Janssen, Ed Harris, Jake Gyllenhaal, and hip hop songstress Lauryn Hill have passed through its prestigious halls.

4. University of Miami – Perhaps the most unexpected of the top five, Miami has put out a decent number of movie, TV, and recording stars. Alumni include: veteran Charles Grodin, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Ray Liotta, Sylvester Stallone, Gloria Estefan, rock musician Ben Folds, and singer Enrique Iglesias.

5. University of Southern California – Coming in at a disappointing fifth spot, despite a prestigious film and TV program, the Trojans are still better than most. They have produced funny man Will Ferrell, prolific film composer James Horner, Star Wars creator George Lucas, comedian John Ritter, the Man himself John Wayne, and Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker.

A few weeks ago, I put together an article entitled "Celebrity Actors & Their College Majors," which catalogued what celebrities had studied in college before they got their big break. Evidently, someone at Forbes.com was thinking along similar lines in putting together, "Celebrity First Jobs," which recounts what a few Hollywood celebrities did before they were on the A list. Notables include:

Johnny Depp. Supported himself fronting a Kiss tribute band, which at one point opened for the B52s and Iggy Pop, and by selling pens over the phone — a feat which Depp supposedly called his "first acting job" because of all the different voices he used to alleviate his boredom.

Teri Hatcher. Before landing her first role as a mermaid on The Love Boat, Hatcher was a cheerleader for the San Francisco 49ers.

Quentin Tarantino. The Grindhouse director actually began his career in film in a “grindhouse” of another sort. He was an usher at a porno theater in Southern California.

Chris Rock. Actually started his comedic career as a busboy at a Red Lobster.

Danny DeVito. Worked for eighteen months as a hair dresser in his sister’s salon before enrolling at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts to pursue his true passion — makeup and cosmetology.

What I find most appealing about this article — and why it’s appropriate for a forum dedicated to Education & Careers — is that it proves that first jobs are just that: first jobs. They’re not supposed to be ideal. They’re not accurate predictors of success or satisfaction.

Most of all, they’re not lifelong commitments. At best, they are simply placeholders — just something to keep us occupied until a better job comes along. The real question is: what do you do when something better doesn’t come along? In a sense, that’s precisely the focus of this forum. Hopefully, we’ll be able to answer that question in the coming weeks and months as we examine specific concerns people have when it comes to furthering their education, or enhancing their career.

After all, you can only stand outside in a giant chicken costume waving frantically at passing cars for so long, right? Then again, if that does describe your first job, at least you’re in good company. That’s how Brad Pitt started.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Benjamin Welch has been a college instructor in writing and composition for nearly six years. When he’s not teaching or playing golf, he offers advice for students seeking information about online education and online degrees.