Back when I was a junior in high school, someone asked me if I would attend college. In my ignorance, I answered no.

See, I’m one of those single-parent-family kids from one of those neighborhoods where more kids drop out of high school than actually finish. Granted, I was one of those “smart” kids who actually could get decent grades if I applied myself (although I never did apply myself). But with my background, I believed college was out of reach; something for those Scottsdale kids.

Now I’m set for graduation with majors in religious studies and history. I’ve got maroon and gold cords and a Phi Beta Kappa stole to wear. I turned in my honors thesis last week. I’ve also been involved with a few groups on campus while maintaining two-and-a-half jobs (unfortunately, writing this column doesn’t affect my bank account).

How did all this happen? How did I go from being an apathetic young man with bad grades to being a slightly less apathetic, slightly older man with good grades?

Well, No. 1 was a veritable load of financial aid and student loans. Thank you, Pell and Perkins. Hell, even Stafford and work-study. Y’all are my boys. (Pounding chest, pointing.)

No. 2, however, was a little more complex. See, while I was always concerned with paying for a collegiate education, just getting in seemed a little iffy. My SAT and ACT rocked, but I didn’t push above that 3.0 mark until my last semester of high school.

Thankfully, ASU, UA, and NAU all accepted me.

Alright, so maybe my application wasn’t exactly s--t, but ASU and the other state universities gave me a chance. A chance I may not have had in another state.

See, our state universities — especially ASU — are committed to accepting everyone capable of doing collegiate work. Many other states (e.g. California) don’t allow their universities to make the same commitments.

In fact, our state universities are so committed to accepting every qualified student some think they’re headed in the wrong direction.

A documentary called “As Nearly Free As Possible,” by ASU senior Elizabeth Teager, depicts an interview with state Rep. John Kavanagh, R-Fountain Hills, of budget cuts fame. In that interview, Kavanagh (a former professor at ASU and a current professor at Scottsdale Community College), calls our state universities “populist institutions,” deriding how low admissions standards have “watered down” our universities.

Maybe. But even if our state universities have embraced populist sentiments to their own detriment, our universities’ admissions standards certainly do plenty of good.

After all, me and other academic late bloomers benefit from the opportunity, not to mention the fact that bachelor’s degrees seem to be necessary for nearly all white-collar jobs; excluding some students without giving them a chance is akin to relegating them to economic disparity.

Those like Kavanagh who doubt our state universities should take a lesson from my experiences. Admissions standards should not deter students like me — students waiting for their chance to grow.

Reach Brett at blivingo@asu.edu.