Girl racks up $188K in school debt, has crappy job, wants us to feel sorry for her

Melensdad · Sep 13, 2012

This girl is EVERYTHING that is wrong with what is happening at colleges today. She admits her absolute ignorance/negligence and admits her bad choices, but doesn't seem to actually recognize that she admits them. She wants us to all feel bad. And why? Because she is a "progressive" who was "educated" but apparently she got her degree in something that doesn't actually give her any job skills! Not sure what she studied, she didn't say. But I'm guessing it was 'wimmins' studies or some other pointless degree that leads to no job.

Oh wait, she has 2 jobs. I'm guessing at least one of them has a drive through window.

Read it and weep! (for her). Then go to the link and read the comments at the newspaper, you'll probably cry (from laughing so hard).

I've screamed long and loud about college costs, but I've also done my homework and looked at what degrees lead to jobs that pay what salaries and what schools yield graduates with the highest paying job offers in which fields. Some very expensive colleges are actually good values, if you pick the right majors. Some, not so much, as this girl learned :hammer:

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/...id=fbc_178343128967820_488013_178471702288296

I am honored to be a daughter of Cincinnati and am humbled to have grown up in such a wonderful community. I attended St. Margaret of York grade school and then matriculated from the reputable Ursuline Academy. After high school, I earned degrees from Miami and Xavier universities. Because of my local education, Cincinnati is more than my hometown – she is the mother who raised me into the woman I am now. I am Cincinnati.

My pursuit in excellent education is rooted in a value system that promotes progressive thought for the betterment of the individual as well as society. Education is a core tenet and vested interest of the functioning democratic society. Upon that basic assumption and principle, I am overwhelmingly incensed by the silent epidemic of crippling student debt.

At 25 years old, I have $188,307.22 in student debt, all of which is my sole financial responsibility.

That exorbitant number was abetted by easy lending with a co-signer, negligence and lack of awareness, over-borrowing and the exponential growth of tuition.

I work both a full-time and part-time job, and abide by a strict budget. Yet, I still sleep in my parent’s basement and am dependent for food, gas and health insurance.

I am told I am not alone.

However, this particularly sensitive conversation is being ignored by our mainstream consciousness. Perhaps I should be ashamed for buying such an unaffordable education and internalize my debts as personal failures. Perhaps my mistakes warrant pained silence. But silence breeds apathy, and in regard to the welfare of the American economy, I want to humanize the numbers and give voice to this reprehensible problem.

Due to reckless neglect, student debt will be the financial ruin of my generation, and there is an incredible need for a public discourse addressing this reality and its grave consequences.

I want answers and clarity as to why this happened. How did I arrive at this position in life so financially handicapped and disenfranchised? I followed societal expectations, earned an education and am employed. I will gladly repay my debts within the comfortable reason of affordability. Yet, my wants and needs are disproportionate, and I can barely afford a PB&J sandwich, let alone the peace of mind to sleep at night.

There is great irony in pursuing freedom through education only to be shackled by crushing debt. My current financial situation prohibits any fantasies of owning a home, getting married or starting a family.

My future and dreams are six feet under, and I am still digging my grave. I want to fight and reclaim my American and Cincinnatian identity, even if the only thing I can afford is the sound of my voice and tears.

I am owed answers simply because I have the right to pursue happiness. And since I am not alone in this debilitating epidemic, my peers deserve their voice as well.

JEV · Sep 13, 2012

I know a Catholic nun who is medically retired now. At almost 70 years old, she is AGAIN living with and helping her ailing, elderly mother. When her mother passes, she will return to the convent as a "utility nun," doing mundane jobs like cleaning, laundry and food preparation, while her peers continue to work as long as they are able in high school and college teaching positions and administration. She confided that she was never able to get a decent teaching job, in spite of her Master's Degree in Art Therapy. :whistling:

But the schools had no problem taking her money, presuming she knew what she was doing. Duhhhh....

Melensdad · Sep 13, 2012

JEV said:
. . . But the schools had no problem taking her money, presuming she knew what she was doing. Duhhhh....

College admissions counselors are telling parents/students that its possible to get a good job in a Fortune 500 company with a degree in anthropology and similar degrees. People actually believe the liars who are employed by these colleges.

FrancSevin · Sep 13, 2012

This poor girl is proof positive of why everyone should not get a College education.

Best I can determine, she learned nothing of use in all those acedemic classes.

The most useful lesson in life,,,,"We are responsible for our own foolish choices."

Perhaps she was testing the efficacy of her free contraception that day. :whistling:

AAUTOFAB1 · Sep 13, 2012

it would be interesting to find out what her degree or degrees are in, i have always thought some fields of study are great learning experiences but will never produce a well paying career.

jimbo · Sep 13, 2012

She spent 13 paragraphs answering her own question, followed by a paragraph demanding answers. Obviously didn't learn not much.

The best of the comments:

I dropped out of UC and went to carpenter college. Learned a trade and started a business with $100.00.......Today I am 39 and live in a nice home (I designed & built myself), drive a new vehicle and own a successful business. Degrees won't guarantee a good job anymore than going to church will guarantee you a trip to heaven. This woman could have gone to an apprenticeship trade school and got paid while she learned and make enough money to pay her rent. Then go to college and pay as she went......NO DEBT! Unfortunatey, college doesn't teach "real-world" experiences or work ethics & experience! If you want sympathy, I found it in the dictionary lady. Right between $hit and Syphilis!

squerly · Sep 13, 2012

She spent $188,307.22 and got nothing? She would have done better to buy a small house, at least she'd still have 1/2 her investment...

snowstorm · Sep 13, 2012

boo freaking hoo you made your bed now shut up and quit bitching about it.

Danang Sailor · Sep 13, 2012

... I am owed answers simply because I have the right to pursue happiness ...

This is semantically meaningless; the first part has no relationship whatsoever to the second. The right to pursue
happiness does not confer any right to the answers to her question. Further, this deluded girl can't distinguish between
a "right to pursue" and a "guarantee to obtain". The Declaration of Independence states that our Creator imbued us
with certain inalienable rights, which included that "pursuit of happiness". It does not guarantee we will actually find that
happiness; only that we have the right to pursue it.

Whatever she studied, it seems certain it did not include any studies in how to actually understand written English, rather
than attempting to interpret what you think it might mean.

FrancSevin · Sep 13, 2012

Danang Sailor said:
This is semantically meaningless; the first part has no relationship whatsoever to the second. The right to pursue
happiness does not confer any right to the answers to her question. Further, this deluded girl can't distinguish between
a "right to pursue" and a "guarantee to obtain". The Declaration of Independence states that our Creator imbued us
with certain inalienable rights, which included that "pursuit of happiness". It does not guarantee we will actually find that
happiness; only that we have the right to pursue it.

Whatever she studied, it seems certain it did not include any studies in how to actually understand written English, rather
than attempting to interpret what you think it might mean.

Not to split hairs again but, "the pursuit of happiness." in the context of 1776 had nothing to do with joy. It was that everyone had the right to pursue personal wealth.

This girl was totaly unaware of what the words, which had guided her quest, actually meant. Some folks are happy when they are drunk or stoned. I don't think that is what the Founders had it mind when they penned the phrase.

Pretty sure of it actually.

jimbo · Sep 13, 2012

FrancSevin said:
Not to split hairs again but, "the pursuit of happiness." in the context of 1776 had nothing to do with joy. It was that everyone had the right to pursue personal wealth.

This girl was totaly unaware of what the words, which had guided her quest, actually meant. Some folks are happy when they are drunk or stoned. I don't think that is what the Founders had it mind when they penned the phrase.

Pretty sure of it actually.

Actually, Franc, I think that is what the founders meant. Happiness does not necessarily mean wealth. If you choose to sit on the bank and catch fish, as long as you catch enough to feed yourself, and lots of fish makes you happy, the you have that right. No one will stop you and demand that you go work in a steel mill according to a 5 year centralized plan.

You are right, that this girl made bad choices and now does not want to suffer the consequences. If you spend 200K getting a degree in a program where the expectations are starting at $10 K and little chance of a more promising future, she failed math.

I think that if the founders, who got most things right, had meant pursuing wealth, they would have said so.

Lately, pursuing happiness has taken on a different meaning. The belief of some is that if you don't want to go sit on the bank and catch fish, then someone else should feed you.

JEV · Sep 14, 2012

squerly said:
She spent $188,307.22 and got nothing? She would have done better to buy a small house, at least she'd still have 1/2 her investment...

Or, she could strap a matress to her ass and find a nice bright streetlight to stand under. Looking at her pic, I'd say she's only a one-bagger. :yum:

That's probably sexist, isn't it? Well, it is what it is. With all that education and no common sense, what esle is she qualified to do besides bitch, moan and complain?

mak2 · Sep 14, 2012

What shocks me is when she was less than 25 years old and unemployed someone loaned her $188k.

jimbo · Sep 14, 2012

mak2 said:
What shocks me is when she was less than 25 years old and unemployed someone loaned her $188k.

Doesn't shock me. The gummint guarantees these loans. It's win win for the bank.

Melensdad · Sep 14, 2012

jimbo said:
Doesn't shock me. The gummint guarantees these loans. It's win win for the bank.

Uh, no its not. Under Obama, the government took over (socialized) the student loan programs. Banks are cut out, students owe the money to .gov not to private lenders. That is why bankruptcy no longer removes the obligation of student loans from the borrower. Look up SallieMae loans, Stafford loans, etc.

And it amazes me that people STILL deny that this President is a socialist.

jimbo · Sep 14, 2012

You are right. The gummint is now the lender.

Anybody that believes Obama is not a socialist needs to scan Dreams and check out his idols and mentors. Barak senior, a Kenyan Socialist. Ayers, Dorn, and the rest of the Chicago socialist crowd and including but not limited to Alinsky who literally wrote the book.

Of course, they should have done this before the 2008 election.

mak2 · Sep 14, 2012

I get my labels mixed up sometimes. Did you mean Kenyan or Keynesian?

jimbo said:
You are right. The gummint is now the lender.

Anybody that believes Obama is not a socialist needs to scan Dreams and check out his idols and mentors. Barak senior, a Kenyan Socialist. Ayers, Dorn, and the rest of the Chicago socialist crowd and including but not limited to Alinsky who literally wrote the book.

Of course, they should have done this before the 2008 election.

jimbo · Sep 14, 2012

mak2 said:
I get my labels mixed up sometimes. Did you mean Kenyan or Keynesian?

No, I mean Kenyan.

A few of the writings of Barak Senior are on the internet. You have to do a little digging, but they can be found. Worth reading.

Dargo · Sep 14, 2012

This dumb ass (because she is whining about her problems brought about by her choices) is living proof of precisely why I pretty well immediately dropped out of law school almost 28 years ago. At that time there were more students in law school than practicing attorneys in this country. I did the simple math, being that I footed 100% of my undergrad college expense not covered by academic scholarships with student loans, and came quickly to the conclusion that I would be about fifteen years out of law school before I would have student loans paid off with the additional debt I'd incur through student loans, so I dropped out and pursued other paths.

The choice really wasn't that hard for me in my particular position and I never looked back. My younger sister opted to continue and became an attorney. Her experience proved to me that my calculations were damn close when I opted out of that career path. She is now a very successful full partner in a huge law firm doing extremely well, but I feel that I really got a fifteen year head start on her in the game of life. We are both pleased with our individual decisions, so I suppose that is all that matters. As I begin to wind down and look more towards retiring, my sister is in the prime of her money making career. I simply look at it as different ways to get to the same end. However, unlike the girl in the posted link, my sister never complained to anyone about her student loan debt. She knew what it would be and how long it would take her to get out from under it and accepted those terms. IMHO, the girl in the article is looking for an Obama handout where the government erases her debt she created and force the taxpayers to pay for what appears to be her poor decisions.

luvs · Sep 14, 2012

a person may get loans, grants, scholarships, make direct payments, they may work-study, on & on.
she chose this.
she wasn't wise in her choices, & i'd venture to say a tad spoiled & shadowed from the realities & consequenses of her choices. or, maybe, plain naive.
schooled, sans schooling..... this lesson may very well teach her the phase, 'contend w/ this one on your own.'
she was hungry to be an adult. now let her live it & see how she fares.

Leni · Sep 15, 2012

Not only do I wonder what her major was, I also wonder what school she attended. My daughter attended CSUN at about $400.00 a semester including books. I attended the same school at a cost less than half of that. No student loans. It was cash and carry. My major was history and political science. I had planned to be a teacher. Got side tracked and ended up working for the State of Cal for 34 years. I'll never forget the comment one of instructors said. Your major doesn't help you here but it does show that you can learn by books and classroom instruction. That's what we look for.

Mama · Sep 15, 2012

Leni said:
Not only do I wonder what her major was, I also wonder what school she attended. My daughter attended CSUN at about $400.00 a semester including books. I attended the same school at a cost less than half of that. No student loans. It was cash and carry.

It's the same principle as "gotta have" those $300 tennis shoes when $50 ones will do.

Melensdad · Sep 15, 2012

Leni said:
Not only do I wonder what her major was, I also wonder what school she attended.

She attended Xavier University. Not sure what the fees were while she was there, but the current tuition is $32,070 per year and the food/housing/fees add another $11,010 per year for a total of $43,080 per year at the current rate.

She also attended a second school which she referred to just as Cincinnati. I am guessing that she is referring to University of Cincinnati and not the 'art' or 'mortuary' or 'Christian' schools which also use Cincinnati in their names. The 'in-state' Tuition for University of Cincinnati is only $10,784 per year, add another $9966 for room & board and the cost is barely over $20,000.

As she listed Cincinnati FIRST and Xavier SECOND, I'd guess she did her 4 year undergraduate work at Cincinnati and her 2 year masters work at Xavier. But if that is the case then there is no way I can make the math work for her to have spent that much money.

FrancSevin · Sep 15, 2012

Melensdad said:
She attended Xavier University. Not sure what the fees were while she was there, but the current tuition is $32,070 per year and the food/housing/fees add another $11,010 per year for a total of $43,080 per year at the current rate.

She also attended a second school which she referred to just as Cincinnati. I am guessing that she is referring to University of Cincinnati and not the 'art' or 'mortuary' or 'Christian' schools which also use Cincinnati in their names. The 'in-state' Tuition for University of Cincinnati is only $10,784 per year, add another $9966 for room & board and the cost is barely over $20,000.

As she listed Cincinnati FIRST and Xavier SECOND, I'd guess she did her 4 year undergraduate work at Cincinnati and her 2 year masters work at Xavier. But if that is the case then there is no way I can make the math work for her to have spent that much money.

Perhaps if you add all those $300 shoes?

And then there is the $3000 for contraceptives.

Melensdad · Sep 15, 2012

I made a mistake.

She did not attend CINCINNATI UNIVERSITY. She attended MIAMI UNIVERSITY which is also called Miami of Ohio (after the indian tribe) and is located near Cincinnati. That is also an expensive private school.

I can see who she could attain $188,000 in debt.

What I can't see is WHY she did so pursuing degrees that would not repay her loans.

jpr62902 · Sep 16, 2012

Melensdad said:
I made a mistake.

She did not attend CINCINNATI UNIVERSITY. She attended MIAMI UNIVERSITY which is also called Miami of Ohio (after the indian tribe) and is located near Cincinnati. That is also an expensive private school.

I can see who she could attain $188,000 in debt.

What I can't see is WHY she did so pursuing degrees that would not repay her loans.

Miami is not private, and only a little more expensive than UC.

Melensdad · Sep 16, 2012

jpr62902 said:
Miami is not private, and only a little more expensive than UC.

They sent Melen stuff this year, tuition, according to them, is almost $30,000 per year. Housing another ran slightly over $10,000. for a total of $40K per year.

jpr62902 · Sep 16, 2012

Melensdad said:
They sent Melen stuff this year, tuition, according to them, is almost $30,000 per year. Housing another ran slightly over $10,000. for a total of $40K per year.

Which is for out of state students. In state, tuition is about 13k with another 10k for housing.

Melensdad · Sep 16, 2012

jpr62902 said:
Which is for out of state students. In state, tuition is about 13k with another 10k for housing.

Then how did this poor unfortunate child rack up so much debt?

loboloco · Sep 16, 2012

Melensdad said:
Then how did this poor unfortunate child rack up so much debt?

Maybe all the guys she had to pay to let her blow them?

Girl racks up $188K in school debt, has crappy job, wants us to feel sorry for her

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