A Word from Our Spring Intern

Tuesday, February 5th, 2013

By Kaitlyn Howard

I’m happy to be joining the Virginia21 team as a spring semester intern! The Virginia21 internship program is a great chance to experience the political process first hand. So far I have had the opportunity to meet with legislators, attend committee meetings, and witness how organizations like Virginia21 make their voices heard in the legislative process.

Currently, I’m a senior political science major at VCU. For me, politics has always been a strong interest, perhaps toeing the line of obsession. I believe good government and healthy civil discourse benefits all people, especially when we are all actively involved in the process.

As you know, Virginia21 focuses on the affordability and quality of higher education, raising political awareness among young people and getting them involved in the issues that affect them. I’ll be using this blog keep you all updated on the happenings on the hill, issues that affect you, and to share my experience fighting for higher education here at Virginia21.

So for now, I hope you all are having a wonderful start to your spring semester and I look forward to sharing more with you soon!

UVa considers major cuts to landmark financial aid program, AccessUVa

Saturday, November 10th, 2012

 UVA ’14

Brendan Wynn is a 3rd year at Virginia.  He currently serves as Virginia21′s UVa Chapter President and Vice Chairman of the VA21 Student Leadership Committee.

Taking on the world from the couch? Stay Positive.

Thursday, September 27th, 2012

By: Kathleen Murphy
JMU ’12

Recently I’ve been looking at blogs, listening to music, watching random TV shows, and hanging out with friends when they are available. This is the life of an unemployed college grad. Well, all of that plus trying to find a job, which is a full time job in itself.

Being home was going to be a temporary situation for the foreseeable future; hopefully just a few months. Its now 3 months after graduation and I’ve had 1 interview and a few “thanks but we’ve hired someone else” letters and emails. The most discouraging part is the astounding silence you hear from most places. They don’t even send a “thanks…” letter or email. It doesn’t matter whether its a huge think tank in DC or the restaurant down the road, the silence gets to you. “Am I qualified to take peoples’ orders or wash dishes? I must be, I have a college degree!”

The world is a new, shiny toy when you graduate college. You dream of working for a well known politician in DC, a huge ad agency, writing books, being a go-to accountant for a big firm or any number of things. You are ready (or not) to take on the world, degree in hand. The problem is that those dreams have to take a backseat while most of us spend months at home, applying for jobs, living off our modest and sometimes non-existent savings, having to pick up cash by doing odd jobs, and relearning what it means to live with your parents as roommates.

My past 3 months- it will be 4 months in a few short days- has been a learning experience to make the understatement of the year. My dad and I have been on a rollercoaster since I’ve moved back (and we don’t even have to pay admission like at King’s Dominion or Busch Gardens!). Since I’ve been off at JMU (yes, I am one of those people who bleedspurple and will never let you forget it, sorry not sorry) we’ve grown as people and have changed in ways. The result is that we’ve been a bit testy with each other. We are the same, personality wise, but could not be more different in political persuasions and the way we express ourselves. I’m a bleeding heart liberal who would be happy painting and reading at my eco-friendly home in the Shenandoah Valley for the rest of my life… that is when I’m not hiking or traveling the world. He is much more of a grounded, logical, conservative who enjoys to-do lists and household improvement projects. Needless to say it gets a bit heated in our house from time to time.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my dad and I like being at home, not paying rent… well, as much as you can when you’re 23 and ready to start your own life. This economy has just prolonged my stay and it’s an endurance test of my patience- which I generally don’t have much of to begin with. A conversation can turn into an argument in the blink of an eye- the pleasure of having two people with Irish tempers and who are headstrong to a fault. A comment can be taken the wrong way and it suddenly becomes a point of tension. Its been difficult but I have learned to hone my “I probably shouldn’t say that unless I want to hear about it later” skills and I know when we each need to go to our own corners of the house.

This whole ‘spending thousands of dollars on college-and then not having a job-with $9,842.40 in student loans waiting for me’ thing is getting old. I don’t regret a second I spent at JMU and I wouldn’t have changed my experience for anything. I would change the predicament I, and my fellow recent grads, are in right now. I would have us working, even if it isn’t the perfect or dream job since those are hard to come by even for those in our fields. I would have hoped that in an election year this political science and German double major could find some work. With what, at times, seems like the world working against us, there is hope. I applied to a job this week that is with a non-partisan transatlantic relations council and they want a research assistant with German language skills. I hope to hear from them soon because it sounds like a great fit. I hope that my fellow recent grads are finding similar gems. Its a little spark of hope, excitement and you never know when you’re dream job might be moonlighting as a simple post on one of many job listing sites.

Head up Class of 2012! We will eventually get a job. Don’t be afraid to apply to jobs that may seem like a stretch and even those that you think you are overqualified for. You might be just the right person. I wish you luck and to those of you with a job (or in the interview process for a job), I’m happy for you but spread the love. Just kidding. Congrats and I know you’ll be great!

Well, I hope this helps and comforts those who are going through the same thing. I have to go, my laundry is ready. Such is life… for now.

P.S.

*Some of my secrets: I’ve been looking through idealist.org a lot for jobs. When living at home rent free isn’t fun anymore, check out sites like theunlost.com and similar blogs. They provide humorous guidance for this more than interesting phase of life.*

Graduate School’s No Joke: How Grad School is different from your Undergrad

Monday, September 10th, 2012

September 10, 2012
By : Justin Graves, VT ’12

Read ahead. Don’t get behind.  Go to office hours. Write papers early. Engage in class.  All pointers that I heard in the months approaching my journey into graduate school.  All valid.

Justin is a VA21 member from VT and is currently working towards a Master’s Degree in Higher Education Administration.

But three weeks deep, I’d have to say my experience in graduate school has been a very interesting one.  More challenging? Absolutely. But, I knew it would be.  In fact, I think that too many students apply to graduate school without really understanding how it differs from undergraduate studies. Because, sure, it’s the next level, and any logical human would assume that it’s more difficult to do well, and that the concepts are more complex. Well, while both of those statements are true, it’s definitely deeper than that.

A great mentor of mine once told me, just before my undergraduate commencement, that in your undergraduate studies you learn about how things are, because you’re supposed to. But in your graduate students, you learn about why things are, because you want to. Now being on the other side, almost one-month into my journey to a Master’s degree, I’m not sure that I’ve ever heard truer words.

Sure, I had many friends, mentors, and colleagues tell me about the challenges that I would soon be faced with, in long nights sitting with my APA manual, trying to get the right paper format, and the long afternoons I’d spend curled up on the couch with some textbooks.  But, conversely, no one ever told me how much I would enjoy the program that I’m in – that the class reading wouldn’t necessary feel like homework, and that the connections would come naturally, because this is the bread and butter of what I’ve wanted to learn about all along. No one told me that the three-hour long classes with the same 10 people 4 days per week would be enjoyable because they are driven by discussion, not a drowning lecture.

Granted, I did get lucky, and was able to find the field that I’m extremely passionate about and want to have a career in – educational leadership and higher education.  For others, it may not come as easy – but I do think it’s worth giving one paramount piece of advice – do NOT enter graduate studies unless you are certain that the degree that you are seeking will help you get to where you want to be. This lack of insight can really cost you in the long run.

In my field, a second degree of some kind is practically customary.  You can get a job in higher education sans second degree, but upward mobility is considerably limited.  As I mentioned in the last blog, that aspect definitely informed my decision to go into graduate school.

The amount of personal and interpersonal work that you may perform with your faculty members and your classmates far exceeds the amount of engagement you had to exhibit in your undergrad – and I believe this to be true in any program, and in any discipline. Make sure that you enjoy being around, and appreciate your faculty members – your relationship with them can make or break your graduate school experience.

Be sure that you’re at an institution that you enjoy, as well. At many institutions of higher education across the country, graduate students are sometimes ostracized from the large undergraduate population, whether by choice or not.  As a graduate student at the same institution as my undergraduate, this is a bit more difficult for me to discern, personally, but it’s a concern I’ve heard across the board.

So, take the time to decide what you want to do. Then, decide to take the time to decide where you’re going to do it.  Make sure that you’re happy in that environment – because productivity and learning outcomes can be either stifled or promoted by your environment. If all of these things important ducks in line, and the rest of your ducks sort of fall into place, I believe you’ve crafted the beginning of a successful graduate school experience.

We Need You To Build A Bridge

Tuesday, September 4th, 2012

James is from Chesapeake, VA and graduated from The College of William & Mary in 2012.

By:  James Morton (W&M, ’12)
September 4, 2012 

Three months ago I graduated from one of Virginia’s many public universities with a great deal of optimism and a big smile on my face.  I had made it through four years of cramming for exams, endless papers, and all-nighters to grasp that piece of paper I had worked so hard to earn.  Beyond my studies, I was also involved with a number of organizations, sat on several committees, and even found time to sleep and attend the occasional party when possible.  My college years were filled with friends who laughed with me into each passing semester, professors who demanded more of me than I ever thought I had to give, and can be summed up as a collective experience I’ll never forget and am so grateful to have had.

However, like many of my friends I am currently unemployed and living at home hoping to God that my metaphorical ship is due to arrive soon.  After four years of freedom, three months with Mom and Dad can seem like an eternity and those accomplishments that once seemed big can feel miniscule when measured against the resumes of the larger applicant pool.  Since composing countless cover letters and defending through many interviews the merits of my college experience, I have often faced the same damning question: while you’ve certainly done much with your college years, why should I give you the job over other applicants who have more work experience or a master’s degree?

The question is both humbling and incredibly frustrating because as a recent grad there is absolutely nothing I can do to gain work experience if every job I apply for already expects me to have it.  This is the cold reality for many recent grads.  However, I firmly believe that many young men and women in this situation do possess the necessary skills and experience to excel in the jobs they are so often denied.  I believe this because I think many employers wrongly assume that the only title or designation we wore in the last four years was that of student when in reality we were and continue to be a great deal more.

Throughout my undergraduate career I certainly studied hard, but an academic education is not all my friends nor I accomplished.  In that time we were also community organizers, social entrepreneurs, event planners, researchers, mentors, leaders, and so much more.  We gained skills that are not only valuable, but also employable if only those doing the hiring would see that.

Let me make this clear, we know we’re exiting college in the midst of a difficult job market and do not expect our futures to be handed to us on a silver plate.  I’m currently working long hours in the sun doing part-time work and spending every nanosecond of my free time applying for jobs.  I want to be employed.  I want to work hard, pay my fair share, and contribute to society.  However, the undeniable truth is neither my friends nor I will ever make it past tomorrow’s troubled waters if those who came before us refuse to build a bridge.

Graduate School, or no Graduate School?

Friday, August 31st, 2012

Justin is a VA21 member from VT and is currently working towards a graduate degree in HigherEd.

Having been an avid Virginia 21 member over the years, I know that myself and many of my peers have been battling student debt since the fall of 2008 when we all entered higher education. Long afternoons spent lobbying on the Hill and engaging with legislators, in my eyes, has paid off – the governor has lobbied alongside us students in order to gain even more funding for higher education in our beautiful state of Virginia.

So, if a student is lucky enough to finish their education in the typical four years, you’d figure that they’d want to immediately go into the real world, and begin working so that they can pay off all of the loans associated with earning a bachelor’s degree from a four-year institution.  Right? No. Not necessarily.

For me, the right decision was graduate school. And I’d say that amongst my friends, I’m in the minority – I decided during the spring of my junior year at Virginia Tech that I would go straight into graduate school, right after graduation.

Some people prefer to go into the work force before they go back to school. Let’s face it, you’ve been a student since Kindergarten – coming right into the work force is probably kind of appealing. No more tests, no more studying, and you really get to be in the work force, bringing home a paycheck every week.

There is also the side of graduate school that makes it a financial worry.  Not all programs offer funding, and sometimes you end up borrowing even more than you had during your undergraduate years.  You don’t want to end up in more debt, so why not take a job right after undergrad, and start working to pay off that debt that you have already accumulated, right? Also, you might not even be considered competitive without some real-world experience in your field.

On the other hand, there are the typical reasons that people decide to go to graduate school, in general – to enhance their education, advance their career, greater long-term earning power, and things like that.  All of those things were part of my reason too.

Also, having worked that 9-5, 40 hour-per-week internship each summer since 2007, I realized that if I got settled into that life style of making money and being a young professional, I’d get used to it – and it’d be a lot harder to go back to graduate school at some point.  I knew that I wanted to go into education – and that’s usually difficult today without some kind of higher learning, past that first bachelor’s degree.

Little did I know, getting into graduate school is extremely competitive. It requires a ton of support, a ton of time, and a ton of mindset transition. Especially in my situation, coming straight from my first degree with no professional time in between, I had to make that transition from being an undergraduate student to being a graduate student. To understand that I was used to learning how things are – and now I’m studying something that I love, and learning WHY things are.

From a financial standpoint, most institutions have begun employing Graduate Assistants, or “GA’s.” In my program, it’s customary to work twenty hours per week, and in exchange, the university provides tuition remission, along with a stipend. In the long term, it delays even longer the need for me to pay back any federal loans I may have taken out for my undergraduate degree – because I’m still a student.   In the short term, it provides me with money to cover necessary bills and expenses while I’m a student for another two years.

So, in a nut shell, I think that if you’re currently in that debate – do I go to graduate school right away? – think about all of those things. Can you make that mental transition? Does your dream graduate institution offer any kind of financial assistance, and if so, at what price? Make sure you have all of your ducks in a row, and get that row formed long before you graduate with your first degree. The more work that you can do ahead of time, the better.

Also, not everyone can complete their graduate degree in the typical one or two year time frame. Especially if you’re working at the same time and are a part-time student, that debt can accumulate even faster than it id at the graduate level.  Don’t let the price tag get in the way though – Higher Education author Vincent Tinto says that “on average, people who go to college and complete a bachelor’s degree earn over one million dollars more during their lifetime than do those who do not go to college, (Tinto, Vincent (2012-03-01). Completing College: Rethinking Institutional Action (Kindle Locations 111-112). University of Chicago Press. Kindle Edition).

The debate on how much more money a graduate degree can make you is an intense one, but it’s generally understood that the more education you have, the more money you will make in the long run.  Money doesn’t buy happiness, but it certainly does qualify you for even more opportunities, professionally. That was the driving force for me. What’s yours?

How do we educate the top 100% of students?

Wednesday, July 25th, 2012

Recap of the Higher Education Roundtable at William & Mary w/ Secretary Arne Duncan
By:  Rachel Brooks (W&M ’14)

College affordability is “the real dinnertime conversation around America,” explained Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, as he met with presidents and other education officials in Virginia. As part of their efforts to address affordability and accountability in higher education, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Under Secretary of Education Martha Kanter led the “College, Cost & the Commonwealth: A Presidential Roundtable” event, which was co-hosted by William & Mary President Taylor Reveley in the William & Mary School of Education on July 13, 2012. The education officials discussed the best ways to keep higher education within reach for students regardless of their socioeconomic status.

Providing a great education to each and every student is a daunting task, and it is easy to be paralyzed by the many problems facing education. While there is no simple answer, it is crucial to recognize education problems and find effective solutions to higher education issues. Secretary Duncan and Under Secretary Kanter emphasized the importance of communication between the states and the federal government. There is a shared responsibility among students, states, and schools to improve higher education, and everyone needs to come to the table to overcome these problems with college affordability.

Provost Carol Simpson of Old Dominion University noted that “grants and part-time jobs are simply not enough for many students.” One of my close friends at William & Mary works forty hours a week in addition to her full course load, so she can pay her out-of-state tuition. In order to avoid growing student debt, I am working four jobs this summer before returning to William & Mary for classes in the fall. Although college degrees provide students with the knowledge and skills to thrive in the workplace, rising tuition costs cause students to amass large amounts of debt, which can make it difficult to focus on studying. Since students are the current consumers of higher education, we can influence policy and must be actively engaged to make higher education more accessible to everyone.

The achievement gap’s repercussions are not limited to minorities or specific populations; it affects the entire country. The United States was first in college graduation rates one generation ago, but our education has been falling behind other countries and is now sixteenth, according to Secretary Duncan. Duncan remarked that the economy does not necessarily reflect a jobs crisis but rather a skills crisis, which is evident in the fact that many high wage jobs in America have unfilled positions due to a lack of qualified applicants. Business leaders, higher education officials, students, and families need to come together and demand higher standards for education.

Improvements for higher education on the federal level include FAFSA simplification and an increase in the number of Pell Grant recipients from 6 million in 2009 to 9.6 million, which is a substantial increase, but we are still sixteenth in college graduation rates compared to other countries and must continue investing in education. Under Secretary of Education Martha Kanter challenged teachers and educators to “educate one hundred percent of students,” so we need to take action to inspire effective changes for higher education.

If we continue to be paralyzed by challenges in higher education, the problems will worsen.  People need to get and stay engaged in college affordability discussions. Virginia21 is the voice of young people and a great way to share ideas and take action. Get involved and make your voice heard.

Wouldn’t it be nice to know where the jobs are?

Monday, July 2nd, 2012

Recap of the 1st 2012 meeting of the VA Higher Education Advisory Committee:

By:  Meg Schwenzfeier (W&M ’14)

Question: What are the two Virginia industries that will grow the most over the next decade?

Answer: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services and Healthcare, both of which are projected to grow at 3.1% annually (the Commonwealth’s economy as a whole will only grow by 1.7%).

This past Wednesday, the Governor’s Higher Education Commission met to discuss the workforce needs of Virginia’s key healthcare and technical industries. Governor McDonnell kicked off the meeting via conference call—praising last year’s unanimous passage of the ‘Top Jobs’ legislation and this year’s passage of funding for the bill. The Governor also pointed out, though, that a lot more work needs to be done during the implementation of the bill in order to meet its goals—especially the creation of a model that clarifies state funding allocations and addresses college affordability.  He also highlighted the need for the panel to research the issue of tuition dollars being used for financial aid—not a topic this meeting, but since this is the source of much of our colleges’ financial aid dollars, we will be following it closely.

The rest of the meeting consisted of a panel discussion by industry leaders from organizations like Northrup Grumman, Capital One, and the Virginia Health Workforce Development Authority. There was also a series of thrilling slideshows, most of which I’m sparing you, but they can be accessed at the end of this post for anyone who wants all the data. I’m a Government major (in the interest of full disclosure), but I wondered at times during the discussion how many students might be interested in STEM-H (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Healthcare) fields if they had access to the information presented on Wednesday while they were planning their careers. Some fun facts:

• More than half of all skilled technicians and engineers in Virginia’s energy industry will need to be replaced within the next decade.
• The average annual salary for STEM-H fields is over $80,000 compared to Virginia’s average of about $50,000.
• The demand for STEM-H skills outpaces overall growth: STEM-H industries are projected to grow 2.5% annually over the next decade, compared to 1.7% for Virginia’s economy as whole.
• The fastest-growing STEM-H occupations in Virginia are: nursing, software developers, computer support specialists, and computer systems analysts.

While the lack of STEM-H graduates in Virginia is obviously a problem that’s not confined to higher education (one panelist mentioned that students decide whether or not to go into a STEM field by the 6^th grade), the information presented during the committee meeting is important for students to know. A college education in Virginia costs a lot these days and student loan payments need to be made soon after graduation—wouldn’t it be nice for students to know where the jobs are?

Sources/Further information:

http://www.education.virginia.gov/Initiatives/HigherEducationAdvisoryCommittee/meetingdocs/062712HEACagenda-final.pdf

http://www.education.virginia.gov/Initiatives/HigherEducationAdvisoryCommittee/meetingdocs/062712VASTEMCHMURApresentation.pdf

http://www.education.virginia.gov/Initiatives/HigherEducationAdvisoryCommittee/meetingdocs/062712PeterHEACpresentation.pdf

http://www.education.virginia.gov/Initiatives/HigherEducationAdvisoryCommittee/meetingdocs/062712Randazzopresentation.pdf