Member-only story
Walking on the UC Berkeley campus one windy day in autumn, I ran into a girl named Alexa*, a mouse-haired Latina with a friendly smile and kindness in her eyes. She represented the “Homeless Students Union,” a club on campus that was a well-known secret, supporting all the students who should have housing but simply can’t afford it.
Alexa had started out as any college student does, with all the usual hopes of friends and parties and all the fears of bad grades. Never in her wildest dreams had she thought that college would become her worst kind of nightmare.
With mounting college debts and limited financial aid, she started working multiple jobs. She often starved since she couldn’t afford food. Finally, when she just couldn’t take it anymore, she was forced to drop out. She didn’t have enough money to even buy a ticket back to her home.
As a fellow GenZer, I wish Alexa’s story were unique. I wish there wasn’t a “Homeless Students Union” representing a hundred or so students just like her at my college alone. But sadly, this is the legacy that has been left for us.
Millennials talk about how costs for food, housing, and education skyrocketed thanks to the poor policies of previous generations. But for every cost that was more…
