To give UW President Young a better picture of our situation, we included personal testimonials from our members in the information package we delivered to him. Here are a few excerpts.
“I used to love teaching. I loved feeling that I was making a difference, learning about people, making connections, collaborating with my coworkers. […] However, after a few years of barely supporting myself with hardly any savings, asking my parents for help, and never taking vacations beyond Portland, I now recognize that I have three options: hurry up and marry a man who makes a lot of money; get a second job; or find another career." More...
- Jessica Wicksnin, English Language Faculty
“I love working for the University of WA and it would be a shame to have to leave here, after learning so much about the school and the campus in the last 4 years. However, I am considering a return to Seattle Central Community College because they pay more there and they give their teachers not only annual raises, but higher rates of compensation based on experience level.” More...
- Laura Elizabeth Martin, English Language Faculty
“My job with the UW IELP has very little stability and I don’t know from one quarter to the next if I might have work. In order to afford to live, I work a second job at a restaurant for about 25 hours a week. I did that all through school to pay my tuition so I could get an education. In hopes that one day I could be a teacher and stop being a waitress. Boy was I wrong.” More...
- Molly Cheney, English Language Faculty
“I am embarrassed to tell my friends and family how little money I make despite having two Master’s degrees. When I finally told my father what my salary was, he said: “Come back to Serbia.” More...
- Aleksandra Petrovich, English Language Faculty