There is nothing wrong or undignified about being a window washer or manual laborer if it is a choice. My father had all the publishing company skills from working at Bethel many years. When he left, the timing was bad. WWII veterans were returning and they received preference, which is only fair. He was very bright. He had an option of paying a bribe to a union official so he would accepted into the union. The bribe was too high.
Both my parents were bright. My mom was very dedicated to becoming a teacher or fashion designer. She was expelled from school at fourteen for flag salute refusal. What happened to both of them was that they were well aware that the Witnesses were not real life. I had much more moxie than they did.They were both broken b/c of the Witnesses.
I can never figure out how generous scholarships were until my generation. There is no doubt that without Lyndon Johnson's War Against Poverty I would not have progressed far. I paid no applications fees, we toured colleges and received warm welcomes, attended cultural events, such as the Stravinksy Festival and Opera at Lincoln Center. I read history a lot. Ben Franklin was forced out of the family home and not encouraged to go to college. I recall the author stating it made no sense. His family was in Boston and Harvard always provided generous scholarships to students of ability.
The apostles were mostly fishermen, simple people. Until Pentecost, they are bumblers. Jesus did not recruit from Jewish seminaries. In many ways, the ban on higher education reveals the appalling state of American high schools. High school rewarded deference. If there was one thing my college professor agreed upon, it was to NOT be deferential. It was in high school where my most direct confrontations concerning the Witnesses occurred. Evolution was taught in science class with no room for intelligent design. I was very confused. My high school teachers told me I was going to college, regardless of my parent's wishes. I don't think they could tell me to ignore my parents' religion today.