Shera Joyner thought she was getting ahead, attending community college for two years before transferring to Virginia State University in Petersburg.
Instead, more than a year after graduating with a degree in mass communications, the 28-year-old owes about $43,000 in student loans, lives with her mother in Norfolk and takes the bus to part-time and freelance work because she can’t afford a car.
“It’s like you’re stuck at this point in life where you can’t really do anything,” she said. “I’m wondering how I can get out of this situation.”
For a state that has been trying to jump-start its economy by embracing entrepreneurs and attracting employers looking for a highly educated workforce, it’s the sort of situation that doesn’t bode well.
