How has the economy affected you?

[JEdwards]

Hey all, Jeff here. I have been having such a difficult time here these last couple of months. I sometimes feel like I'm the only one having such a hard time financially with these tough economic days. I lost my home in MI last October and moved to TN, and I still haven't found a job. And the outrageous thing is that I'm a nurse (licensed practical nurse).

We often hear about the shortage of nurses, but what they fail to say is that it's RN's (registered nurse) that are needed. I've been nursing since 1997, and I have never had any problems finding a job. But it is so different now. I never thought that I would see the day when a LPN would have a hard time finding employment. It's like we don't exist anymore.

I've been desiring to back to school to become a registered nurse for years, but could not afford it. Since the first of this year, I've been applying for grants, loans, and anything that I can think of to be able to get back in school. But you know what I've come to realize? Almost every grant and scholarship that is offered, 9 out of 10 are for minorities. And I'm just beside myself because of it. I've applied for at least 50 grants and scholarships since January and have been declined because I'm not Spanish, Latin, Asian, Indian, or black.

Don't get me wrong, friends. I don't fault anyone for being able to make it and doing well, anyone. I pray that the Lord blesses everyone that I meet. What I don't understand is why someone that was born in this country, served in this military, and has paid taxes from the first job over 20 years ago, cannot qualify for any assistance to go back to school simply because I'm not a minority. One example that I can give recently is that the medical facility that I worked at in MI before moving to TN was operated predominately by Indian nurses. And come to find out that everyone of them came to this country and got 4 years of college paid for in full due to the fact that they were from India and qualified as a minority. And here I can't even get a small loan, grant, or scholarship to back to RN school because I was born here.

I don't mean to be critical. I'm just having a difficult time. What are your thoughts, if any? Blessings to you. Jeff