Nerd girl seeks higher education or not… Along the way of my dreams to being a journalist, the economy started to suck. Media jobs started to be even more scarce in an already competitive field and I got stuck in a low visibility job. Even though I had made it into broadcasting I wanted to be part of a company where I could progress. Although I applied to jobs that I was qualified for, I got no results. They say it’s not what you know but who you know in this industry, so I applied to graduate school in hopes to expand my network and increase my visibility.
I rejoiced when the acceptance letter came; someone wants me!!! But then there was the issue of paying for a higher education. Most scholarships are targeted for high school students the rest are for brilliant people who have status. And then there are a select few that are so general that everyone and their mother can and does apply. Scholarship funding was not likely for me. So, I hastily filed my taxes and filled out my FAFSA form to receive a government loan. Government Educational loans are the best type of loan a student can get, well, except for the Bank of Mom and Dad. However, when the financial aid packet came, it was significantly less than what I needed. FYI: Journalism isn’t the most profitable field. It may take a long time to pay back a significant loan – if I can manage to get a re-hired in the field. The question became to throw myself into debt chasing my dream or regret giving up the chance to attend a highly reputable graduate journalism program. This question nagged at me and still does. I turned to friends who became tired of the subject; I turned to my mom who left the decision to me and at one point I turned to Ted Turner.
Let me explain; I was reading “Call me Ted” the Ted Turner Autobiography (the guy who established TBS, CNN, TCM). I was reading about Turner’s; I mean Ted’s (per his book title) stinginess towards college and I saw that he actually pulled his journalism scholarship from the school that I had been accepted into. It was like having a Ted Turner business angel on my shoulder saying, “It’s not worth the investment; furthermore, you already have one degree, how many do Grad school would open my network but I’m not convinced that educational loans aren't like the home loans that sent so many people into foreclosure. I’ll be sending in my withdrawal letter this week. Woe is me…yet still debt free.
Post written by Terisa Thurman
