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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (June 10, 2015)
J u n e 10 , 20 1 5 Su ck ed fin t o D eb t P a g e 5 u l a r con t r fibu to r to th e Po r t l and fo l low fing th e adv fi c e o f fin an c fi a l Ob s e rv e r , s a fid sh e cou ldn ’ t a f fo rd a fid adv fi so r s and p ro f e s so r s , a c - to w a fi t fo r a fu l l - r fid e s cho l a r sh fip . qu fi r fing th e ev e r - cov e t ed aw a rd s “ I f I l e f t s choo l tomo r row I w e r e mu ch mo r e d fi ffi cu l t th an wou ld b e hom e l e s s v e ry qu fi ck ly . m any s tud en t s cou ld m an ag e . 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Sh e mov ed to dom ld ou t long enough du r fing th e o f an edu c a t fion , bu t o th e r f a c to r s , av fing th e lu cky f ew f rom wh a t e d t o t e a c h , a n d t h e n b e fi n g p a fi d a to ho Po r t l and a f t e r Hu r r fi c an e S andy s a r sh e conomy . su ch a s cu t s to s t a t e fund fing , and e r ag e s to $30 ,000 p e r s tud en t . p fi t t a n c e a s a n a d j u n c t p r o f e s s o r . h d e s t roy ed h e r hom e fin N ew J e r - av Cu r r en t PSU ad jun c t p ro f e s so r d rop s fin t ax r ev enu e s th a t fund Th e o r g an fi z a t fio n h a s r a fi s ed ov e r S h e e v e n t u a l l y w e n t b a c k t o s c h o o l s ey . and fid a t e Ang fi e M e j fi a m a jo r pub l fi c fin s t fi tu t fion s a r e a l so ,000 and abo l fi sh ed n e a r ly o n a f u l l - r fi d e , s h e s a fi d , b u t w a s and PhD c “On c e I w a s h e r e I though t I $700 ay s s tud en t s s t ay fing fin cou r s e s to b l am e . fi l l fion fin d eb t . o n l y o f f e r e d s u c h a p o s fi t fi o n o n c e s shou ld go to s choo l , and I kn ew $32 m s t fo r hou s fing c an m ak e t e a ch - Fo r s tud en t s who a r e a l r e ady fin “My adv fi c e , ” s a fid fo rm e r ad - s h e h a d t e a c h fi n g e x p e r fi e n c e , a n d ju fi t m e an t lo an s , bu t I ’v e b e en to ld fi ffi cu l t a s w e l l . d eb t , a cqu fi r fing mo r e d eb t s e em s c t p ro f e s so r and g r adu a t e Sh fin t h e t e a c h fi n g e x p e r fi e n c e o n l y c am e fing d I h av e a lo t o f po t en t fi a l and I f e l t jun “W e know th e r e a r e s tud en t s to b e th e on ly w ay fo rw a rd . u P a fi , “ fi s to find a w ay to fin an c e a f t e r s h e h a d t a k e n o u t d e b t . S h e fi t w a s t fim e I pu t th a t to u s e , ” sh e Y av e th e fi r h e adphon e s on , a r- “ I s t fi l l ho ld on to hop e s o f g e t - edu c a t fion w fi th lo an s , o r f ew e r e v e n t u a l l y f o u n d w o r k p r o o f r e a d - who h s a fid . ’ t r e a l ly fu l ly th e r e , th a t en ro l l t fing an edu c a t fion , ” s a fid Hong , an s , u s fing s cho l a r sh fip s o r f e l - fi n g f o r a n a d a g e n c y , a j o b s h e s a y s en P ag an w a sn ’ t su r e how ex a c t- lo s t to s t ay hou s ed , ” sh e exp l a fin s . e cho fing th e s en t fim en t s o f o th e r sh fip s , o r con s fid e r a l t e rn a t fiv e d o e s n o t r e a l l y r e q u fi r e t h e l e v e l o f ju ly sh e w fi l l ev e r p ay b a ck h e r ed - low A l though th e common d r e am s tud en t s a t th e r a l ly , “ ev en fi f I ’m ay s to g e t th e l e a rn fing th a t you e d u c a t fi o n s h e p a fi d f o r t o g e t t h e r e . u c a t fion bu t a l r e ady p l an s a l fi f e w f ob t a fin fing fu l l - r fid e s cho l a r sh fip s no t su r e wh e r e fi t t ak e s m e o r wh a t r e look fing fo r w fi th fin t e rn sh fip s o r T e s s a r a Dud l ey , a PSU b l a ck o w fi thou t th e th fing s m any boom e r s a a s th e pu r su fi t o f m any s tud en t s fi t m e an s r figh t now . ” app r en t fi c e sh fip s . ” s tud fi e s m a jo r , lo c a l po e t , and r eg - w m figh t h av e t ak en fo r g r an t ed . “ I won ’ t ev e r own a hom e o r th row a b fig w edd fing o r h av e k fid s o r go on a b fig v a c a t fion o r buy a n fi c e c a r - I w fi l l ju s t h av e an edu c a- t fion , and m ayb e th a t ’ s a l l I ’ l l ev e r h av e , ” sh e s a fid . A sk ed wh a t k e ep s h e r fin s choo l ev en know fing th e s ev e r fi ty o f th e fin an c fi a l con s equ en c e s sh e f a c e s , P ag an exp l a fin ed th a t fo r h e r , fi t m e an t b e fing ab l e to sh a r e h e r ex- p e r fi en c e fin th e LGBT commun fi ty and r a fi s fing aw a r en e s s fo r t r an s l fiv e s . “ I ’m s tudy fing W om en , G en - d e r , and S exu a l fi ty . I h av e a lo t o f exp e r fi en c e fin tho s e sub j e c t s , and I w an t to con t r fibu t e to how p eop l e und e r s t and th a t on a fu l l - s c a l e l ev- e l . W e n e ed t r an s wom en o f co lo r to con t r fibu t e fin a c ad em fi a and w e c an ’ t ex c lud e th em . I n e ed to b e a p a r t o f th e s e conv e r s a t fion s too , ” sh e s a fid . P ag an jo fin ed o th e r a c t fiv fi s t s to en cou r ag e p eop l e to th fink a l fi t - t l e mo r e c r fi t fi c a l ly abou t wh a t th e Am e r fi c an D r e am m e an s fi f fi t co s t s a l fi f e t fim e o f co l l eg e d eb t to ob t a fin fi t . “ I t c an r e a l ly b e a n figh tm a r e th a t s end s p eop l e fin to pov e r ty and k e ep s th em th e r e , k e ep s th em d e s- p e r a t e , ” sh e s a fid . Th e a s s emb ly w e l com ed s tu- d en t s to s fign up fo r a p rog r am c a l l ed Ro l l fing Jub fi l e e , l ed by a non -p rofi t g roup th a t buy s d e l fin- qu en t co l l eg e lo an d eb t s fo r p en - n fi e s on th e do l l a r , bu t fin s t e ad o f t ry fing to co l l e c t fi t , abo l fi sh e s fi t .