12/15/2009 9:59:00 PM Plan B: College students alter majors during recession
Matt Hinshaw/ The Daily Courier Embry Riddle Aeronautical University senior Hector Luque studies at the ERAU Library Tuesday morning in Prescott. Luque is studying global security and intelligence and was hoping to get a job in Washington D.C. when he graduates.
Yavapai College student Marley Slaughter changed her major from accounting to nursing.
In her third year at Yavapai College and technically a sophomore, Slaughter decided to change her field of study because of the current state of Arizona's economy. She thinks her chances of finding a job in the medical field are better than in accounting.
With Arizona's unemployment rate still at 9 percent or more and its economic recovery virtually nonexistent, Slaughter's move to improve her marketability is just one example of what college students are doing to prepare for life after graduation.
A recent Gallup Poll, "The Arizona We Want," commissioned by the Center for the Future of Arizona, indicates that Arizona residents think that Arizona is not a great place for young college graduates. The results from the telephone portion of the poll indicate that citizens do think the state offers significant opportunities to improve both prosperity and overall quality of life. At the same time, the perception is that Arizona is not a great place to live for talented young people.
Prescott College junior Katie Chapin's major is psychology. She is considering continuing her education after getting her bachelor's degree by working toward a master's degree.
Chapin said she wants to work with at-risk teens - "and that requires a master's degree."
Staying in school would also allow Chapin to delay paying back her college loans. She thinks investing another three years of study will pay off in the end.
"There is a market for what I want to do, for this field. Today, teens are more into drugs and more into gangs," she said.
Prescott College senior Ian Thompson from Houston, Texas, is also a psychology major. Thompson plans to pursue a master's degree immediately after receiving his bachelor's degree this spring.
Because of the current job market, Thompson thinks he will "more likely land a job in information technology, my hobby, than what I've been studying."
Thompson thinks that because of high interest rates it will take years to pay off his student loans.
"I'm concerned that I'll have to make a lot of sacrifices, such as high interest rates when I want to buy a car or a house," Thompson said. "I think things will be difficult for years."
Having nothing to "fall back on" has Honduran Hector Luque worried about repaying his loans.
The Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University senior moved his family to Prescott three years ago to attend school. He is studying global securities and intelligence.
After graduation, Luque said he hopes to find a job in corporate security, which is a "more specialized field."
"I originally thought I would find work in Washington, D.C., but now I am looking worldwide," Luque said. "Nowadays, you can't limit yourself."
With a wife and 3-year-old daughter, Luque is concerned about providing health care for them. He is cautiously optimistic about how the new federal health care program will work out.
"Everyone is skeptical, but I would like to see it pan out," Luque said.
Thompson is also concerned with health care. Healthy himself, his brother had leukemia, "so there is a family history of a serious cancer."
Chapin hopes "to always have a roof over my head." She currently works as a waitress, alongside a woman with a pilot's license and another who is a teacher.
"There are no jobs and no promises," Chapin said.
According to the Gallup Poll, residents see the state's natural beauty and open spaces as its greatest asset.
Thompson agrees.
"Arizona has such a draw. Its beauty is unique. People, college students, come here because they want to explore the state. The beauty of Arizona is a draw for individual aspirations," Thompson said. "State officials need to take advantage of the surroundings."
As part of the Gallup Poll, Arizonans identified a "citizens agenda" that includes creating quality jobs for all Arizonans and preparing Arizonans of all ages for the 21st-century workforce.
"The Arizona I want is a place where I can have a secure job and a place where I can explore the outdoors. This is a beautiful state and there are so many places that should be preserved," said Yavapai College sophomore Merritt Moore, who participated in the Gallup Poll and was included in the report.
"I want to be able to provide my future family with the quality of life that I have enjoyed. Where will I be in five years? I'm not sure. I'm in community college now and I want to finish a degree in the next few years. But I'll be back. This is where I want to live."
