Robyn Lorom Young ’17 Op Ed in Maine Voices

Sociology Dept Alum Robyn Lorom Young ’17 has an op ed in the Portland Press Herald “Maine Voices” section of the May 5th issue:

Maine Voices: Maine helped me escape poverty

The state gave me the support I needed to put my life on track. With better management, it could do much more for others, too.

WINTERPORT — Until two years ago, I struggled with chronic homelessness, underemployment and the inability to pay my bills.

My childhood included nine years in foster care, and despite working hard, I could not seem to gain independence in my life. In 2013, I left my abusive ex-husband and lost my job three months later. But at the unemployment office, I was awarded a spot in a program called the Competitive Skills Scholarship Program to go back to school, and the scholarship was critical to my college success and my ability to finally escape poverty.

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