ideas

‘I just don’t think we have the luxury to have dreams anymore’

"As a junior in college, I’ve watched this upend young people’s plans."

"As a junior in college, I’ve watched this upend young people’s plans."

As the pandemic rages, companies are putting their summer internship programs on hold. For students who hope to work in nonprofits or the public sector, there’s added concern that these organizations will no longer be able to afford to hire them.
This pandemic has laid bare our deepest inequalities. We live in a society where workers work even though they’re ill because the government doesn’t guarantee paid sick leave, where Americans who are already used to forgoing health care because of its costs would be hesitant to get tested for the coronavirus even if tests were available.
Young people are frustrated because we understand that there isn’t a way to “win” this system — it’s simply too broken.