Anthony's Voice
How have increased tuition fees impacted you and your family?:
My parents landed at San Francisco International Airport on the day of Super Bowl XVI. They came as immigrants from the Philippines--in search of a new life of opportunity for them and their kids. Nearly 30 years later, they have placed their hope in me, the first child in the family to attend a university in the United States.
While my parents are the hardest working individuals I know, they struggle to support my brother and I. Now that I am in college in San Francisco, I am working 3 part-time jobs. Some students cannot even handle one job. I am working three. Last semester I took 16 units, the semester before that I was taking 18. I work about 42 hours a week to support my independence so that my parents do not have to carry the burden.
Tuition has nearly doubled since I started in 2009.
My first year at SF State, I worked one part time job. My second year, I worked two part time jobs. And now I work three. Please do not increase the tuition. I don't have time for another job.
What are you studying at SF State and what do you hope to do once you graduate?:
Urban Studies and Planning with a minor in Political Science.
I hope to become an urban planner or designer as a tool to enact social change in a community.
Anthony G., 21 Vacaville
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