If we cancel student debt, I can pursue my dream of becoming a teacher
By Clayton Northcraft
My goal in life has always been to become an elementary school teacher. I would love to work with young kids and make a difference in their lives. I saw firsthand what it’s like to have amazing teachers at such a young age. But I never imagined the financial obstacles and roadblocks I would run into along the way.
Right out of high school, I went to college for a year, but it didn’t go well so I didn’t go back. I wasn’t ready for college. But a few years later, when I was more prepared, I started taking classes at my local community college.
Even though I was living paycheck to paycheck, they said I made too much money to qualify for assistance so I did the only thing I could. I took out a loan, but I figured it was worth it. My generation was told that if we wanted to get the best jobs, we had to go to college and get a good education.
But then, the unexpected happened. I rely on my car for work, so when it broke down and I had to take on big payments to replace it, I couldn’t afford both the car payments and the tuition. So I had to drop out.
Even though I didn’t get a degree, I’m still stuck with $10,000 in student loans. And no degree
So here I am today, 28 years old and working full-time as a bartender at Guinness. It’s a good job, and I actually feel like I’m one of the lucky ones. At least I have access to health insurance through my job, even if it costs hundreds of dollars a month.
There’s no way I can afford to go back to college now, even if I wanted to. I make too much money to qualify for grants for school so I’m sort of stuck in my current situation. I don’t want to dig myself into more debt.
That’s why I think it’s so important to support Bernie Sanders and his plans to cancel all existing student debt. Most of the people in this country who have student debt are people like me, who don’t make the big bucks. Getting out from under that debt would be a huge relief to me and a big boost for the economy. His plan would save the average borrower around $3,000 a year.
The other part of the solution is to eliminate tuition and fees at community colleges, four-year public colleges and universities, trade schools, and other institutions. That would allow me to return to school and restart my journey to becoming a teacher. I would love to have that opportunity.
