Taya Woodall has been teaching at South Salem High School for four years now. Since working at South, Mrs. Woodall teaches AVID, World Social Studies and History of Sociology, a social studies elective course for sophomores, juniors and seniors. With Mrs. Woodall’s AVID students, she has decided to loop with her students. Meaning, throughout their high school years, she has been their only AVID teacher.
Woodall got her associates degree from Chemeketa Community College, bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon and her masters degree from Grand Canyon University. Though Woodall was able to go to college she did not save up the money to go to college and because of that she is in quite some debt.
“As a first generation college student, this is why I am so passionate about teaching AVID. I am passionate to help be an advocate for students who are in the same position I was in trying to learn how to navigate to get to college. Most importantly, how to pay for it,” Woodall said.
Money Advice
Some things Woodall wishes she would have done were save up money and put it towards her college fees. Whether it was taking cans or taking a little bit of money from her paycheck.
“My grandpa used to always tell us, ‘the sum is equal to the whole of its parts,’ meaning that all of the little things add up and can make a big difference. With this in mind, I wish I would have taken even a few dollars from my paycheck and put it toward college fees. If family or friends had cans laying around, I would have asked if I could take them off their hands. Some colleges offer work study programs. Most importantly, I would have continued to look for and apply for scholarships. There are many organizations out there that want to see students be successful at the collegiate level and offer monetary incentives to help alleviate financial stress,” Woodall said.
She is glad that she went to a community college for her associates degree because the tuition was less than a university, but offered the same types of courses and degrees. By choosing this it decreased her student loans amount significantly. As well as allowed her to live at home where she did not have to worry about living and household expenses.
Having a Goal
Having a set goal with how she wanted to use her degree had a big role in saving money.
Often students will attend college because that is ‘what they are supposed to do’ and end up racking up large amounts of student loan debt and a degree that they never use. While I would encourage all students to go to college and become lifelong learners, I would suggest that they really make sure that they consider the cost and that it aligns with their goals,
Woodall, (above) said.
Advice For Students
Some advice Woodall has for students who want to go to college but are worried about the money is reaching out to resources available. At South Salem High School students can reach out to their counselors, college and career coach, teachers, as well as AVID teachers in the building. Students are allowed to ask any questions and see what is available .
“Look at what South has to offer. We have school based scholarships that do not often get a lot of applicants. While filtering through which scholarships are applicable to the individual can be tedious, the work will pay off,” Woodall said.
Not only does South have a lot to offer but there are many programs as well as community colleges that offer tuition.
“Chemeketa Scholars offers free tuition to Chemeketa for an associates degree if eligible. Oregon Promise offers a contribution in tuition to community colleges in Oregon. And lastly, apply for scholarships! OSAC and Ford are great places to start. Do a google search for scholarships and see what is out there. Check specific college based scholarships,” Woodall said.
Sarah Kecks Journey To Becoming a Teacher
Sarah Keck has been teaching for 13 years but has been working at South for nine years, teaching AVID for seven of those years. Keck graduated college from University of Arizona with a bachelors degree and Northern Arizona University with a master’s degree. But to get to college Keck did not have time to save up the money.
“Between chores, caring for my younger brothers, school and extracurriculars, I did not have time for a job. I did work at Target on the weekends for a few months during my junior year, but I didn’t make much and sure didn’t save any of it,” Keck said.
Scholarships, Jobs and Loans
She ended up getting her two years of community college free and saved some money when she worked during that time but ultimately she relied on scholarships, working while going to school and some loans.
Since community college was free and she had still lived at home Keck wishes she had been saving money during those first two years of school.
“I was too caught up with finally having any sort of money, that I bought lots of shoes or went out with friends and just spent my money on random things instead of saving it,” Keck said
Community College Program
Though Keck wished there were some things she did not do there are also some things she is glad that she did like going to a community college on a program that is similar to Chemeketa Scholars.
“It paid for two years of school. While at community college, I worked hard for A’s and B’s so I could transfer to university with merit scholarships. I also got a part time job to help cover expenses. Living at home while going to school during those first two years really helped,” Keck said.
Life on Campus
While at her university Keck worked several jobs to afford rent. She is also thankful that she made connections with others to help her through classes.
“On campus jobs don’t pay as well as others but they are convenient. I am also glad that I made friends and found study groups so that I was successful in my classes and didn’t have to pay to retake (many of) them,” Keck said.
Scholarships ideas
Keck also has some advice for students who want to go to college but are worried about the money aspect. The advice she has is to apply to any scholarships you might slightly qualify for. Students can also spend two hours on a $500 scholarship and if they win it, it is like having a job that pays $250 an hour. Students can also apply for local scholarships. Since local scholarships have a smaller number of applicants, students may have a higher chance of winning them.
“You can also apply to private schools! They have a higher price tag, but more money to offer because they are not in the public school fund. I know a lot of kids paying way less to go to a school like Linfield or even one like St. Olaf College in Minnesota than they would to go to an Oregon State or University of Oregon,” Keck said.
Research and loans
Always research about the college you have in mind or even the job you have in mind. See what degrees you need or what the income would be for those certain jobs.
Do your research! Do the careers that interest you require a college degree? What is the potential income for those careers? If you have to take loans, will you be able to pay them back with your chosen career?
Keck, (above) said.
Loans will always be a tough thing when it comes to college. But if students have the right mindset and plan it can help reduce the stress.
“Remember that loans are scary, but if you have a plan (even if it is loose), can mostly stick to it, and can land a career that will allow you to pay them back in a reasonable amount of time, then they may be a necessary evil,” Keck said.
