Photo By Cole Keister
Many changes are happening in the Commonwealth. It seems that many of those changes are in part from a proposed elimination of various programs throughout the state, including the University the Kentucky. A proposal to eliminate 70 programs throughout Kentucky was administered by Republican Governor Matt Bevin on Tuesday, Jan. 16.
To many people, it seems as though Gov. Bevin is targeting mostly education in the proposal, and it has left many in fear of losing textbooks, scholarships and transportation.
The programs proposed to be eliminated exclusively at UK include the University Press, Kentucky Transportation Center, Center for Entrepreneurship, Hospital Direct Support, Agriculture Public Service, Mining Engineering Scholarships and the Robinson Scholars Program.
Personally being in the Robinson Scholars Program, it is hard for me to accept that my governor would want to take away my scholarship. We are a group of first-generation students from Eastern Kentucky, and we come from poverty stricken and drug-infested areas. We do not have the means of paying for college, and this program has given us a chance to make something out of our lives and escape from the social construct where once we were so confined.
I cannot understand why a governor would want to take away this opportunity to give back to the community, nor can I understand why he would wish to take away any of these other programs that are giving students a chance at bettering themselves.
As for public education, one of the eliminations is textbooks and another is the popular program, Teach for America.
Many of us are left wondering if any of these proposed eliminations will come to pass and if they do, where will that leave us?
I personally will not just sit back and let that happen. I will fight for my scholarship that I worked four years to achieve. I will not stand down and let my governor take away transportation that I use so I do not have to walk five miles to get to class. I will not let him tape the mouth of the University Press permanently shut.
Whatever happens, I will not give up.