My name is Brena Smith. I’m 21 years old and was born and raised in Olympia. I’m the first person in my family to try and go to college, but it’s been really hard to make it work. My parents both work, my dad’s in construction and my mom works for the state, but even though they earn a steady income, we’re still dealing with medical debt. On paper, it looks like we make too much for financial aid, but in reality, we can’t afford tuition.
I started at The Evergreen State College and paid out of pocket for about a year. Between tuition, rent, and bills, I couldn’t keep up. It got to the point where I had to choose between paying for school or keeping up with basic living expenses, and eventually, I had to drop out. Right now, I’m working at a daycare and trying to save enough money to go to SPSCC, but even community college feels out of reach sometimes.
Honestly, college doesn’t feel affordable. I don’t think it’s possible to move out of your parents’ house and go to college, it’s either one or the other. Having access to free community college would change everything for me. It would give me the chance to get my prerequisites out of the way, explore what I want to do, and work toward a degree without drowning in debt.
I want to build a future in something creative, maybe art, writing, or publishing. But right now, the system feels like it’s set up for people who already have money. I also think it’s important that students have access to basic needs like food, housing, transportation, and mental health support. Those things shouldn’t be luxuries, they’re what make it possible for people like me to even think about finishing school.
If college were free and there was more support for students, I’d already be back in school. I want to keep learning and find my place, but I just need the chance to do it.