It would affect my graduation and my future. Crystal supports herself and pays for her education with some loans and by working full-time at East Alabama Medical Center. I have a necessity to graduate because the longer I take to finish my degree, the more I am going into debt because of student loans. Crystal's dream of a college education has always been rooted in attending Auburn, something she believes may be jeopardized if the governor, legislature or courts don't protect higher education funding. Their action is of the utmost importance to me because it affects my future.
Crystal knows what it means to persevere.
Before enrolling at AU, the Tuscaloosa native attended two junior colleges in Alabama, one on a scholarship. She went the junior-college route to Auburn, she says, because as the sole financial provider, it was more affordable. My dream and that of my parents was for me to attend Auburn University and earn a degree from Auburn. Crystal says the greatest thing about Auburn is the faculty. I've never been in a program where the professors have been as helpful as they have been.