LOCAL STORY TO DEGREE, OR NOT TO DEGREE BY CAT EVANS THE WEBSITE EDUCATIONDATA.ORG ESTIMATES that there are 43.2 million student borrowers in the United States, averaging $39,351 owed per person. Accumulated debt totals $1.73 trillion and grows six times faster than the nation’s economy. The average public student borrows $30,030 to attain a bachelor’s degree. The great debate of the value of a bachelor’s degree in modern times is frequent: is it worth the investment? “I was the first generation to graduate and actually go to college. I felt like it was very important for me to do that, more for my family’s sake,” said Donnie Aguilar, a college graduate. “I studied psychology because I really wanted to understand people and to help people. That being said, I don’t think it was necessary. I sort of feel like it hindered me in a way — it’s really expensive. If I had more money I would go back, but I see a lot of opportunity outside of it.” Currently, Aguilar works in the entertainment and food service industries and has yet to find a direct path alongside his major. Many lucrative opportunities with a bachelor’s in psychology are presented once a student move forward with a master’s program. In an article published by Northeastern University, Tim “Master’s degree holders Stobierski wrote, earn nearly $13,000 more per year than four-year-degree holders.” This bump translates to an average of $77,844 per year, with an unemployment rate of 2%. Compare that to a yearly income of $38,792 for individuals who did not complete any form of higher education beyond a high school diploma. Mariana Sesserman graduated from Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colo., for a degree in exercise science, with an emphasis in administration. “Nowadays, it’s not valuable. It’s pigeonholed and limited. The problem is there are no jobs to apply for,” Sesserman said. “It’s not even that I’m applying and getting the door shut in my face; there’s just no demand for this type of employment, especially after COVID. I’m going back for my master’s to pair my MBA with my bachelor’s degree. Really, I feel with a bachelor’s, you get those to further them into a master’s or a doctorate. It doesn’t necessarily benefit you to just get a bachelor’s, at least not for me; I’m literally selling cell phones right now.” Before COVID and while living in a smaller city, Sesserman started an LLC and was able to open a volleyball club in Durango after graduating from college. Once she moved to Denver, that changed. “The lack of demand and larger population made that more difficult,” explained Sesserman. “To me, I knew it was probably going to take an additional $30,000 and four years down the road to make that degree beneficial.” A company geared toward assisting students in paying off their loans, studentloadnhero.com, states that the average cost of a public master’s degree is $30,000 annually. Private school graduate students spend an average of $40,000 per year on tuition and fees. Prices vary depending on focus of the degree and which school the student attended. For example, educationdata.org, says a master’s of education typically costs $55,200, while according to besteducationdegrees.com, the average salary for an 10 DENVER VOICE September 2021 DONNIE AGUILAR. CREDIT: CAT EVANS
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