“It’s prideful to know that when you graduate there, you won’t owe a thing back to the college.”

Joshua Eidson College of the Ozarks

Joshua Eidson, a senior at the College of the Ozarks, doesn’t have your typical campus job. Outside of class, he takes care of cows on the Missouri college’s dairy farm. Nicknamed “Hard Work U.,” the college gives students like him the opportunity to graduate debt-free through its Work Education Program.

About this series: Say Something collects stories from college students about what they’re up to and why. Check for new episodes every three weeks. View more episodes.

Photo: Courtesy of College of the Ozarks Music: Theme by John Gravois

“Since students pay so much for their education here, we decided that we could not tolerate a decrease in the quality.”

Michael Kutz

University of Washington

Whether a college is a good value depends not only on what students pay, but also on what they get for their money. That’s why a student group at the University of Washington led by Michael Kutz has proposed increasing tuition to support faculty raises—unless the state comes through with more financial support.

About this series: Say Something collects stories from college students about what they’re up to and why. Check for new episodes every three weeks. View more episodes.

Photo: Lenaig Delisle Music: Theme by John Gravois

Jean Leon Iragena

Millsaps College

The tiny African nation of Rwanda has been rebuilding ever since its devastating genocide in 1994. Jean Leon Iragena, who attends Millsaps College on a scholarship from Rwanda’s government, has started the Isaro Foundation to help his fellow Rwandans read, write, and tell their own history.

About this series: Say Something collects stories from college students about what they’re up to and why. Check for new episodes every three weeks. View more episodes.

Photo: Courtesy of Millsaps College Music: Theme by John Gravois

“People don’t tend to want your 10-minute-long saga.”

Maisha McCormick

Clark University

In this episode, we hear from Maisha McCormick, a senior at Clark University, in Massachusetts, and Third Culture Kid student coordinator there. Having grown up in Vermont, China, Jamaica, and Botswana, she describes how people who live in different cultures struggle to answer where they’re from.

About this series: Say Something collects stories from college students about what they’re up to and why. Check for new episodes every three weeks. View more episodes.

Photo: Courtesy of Clark University Music: Theme by John Gravois

“Possibly the stereotype of BYU is that we’re very uptight people where something like that wouldn’t happen.”

Kathleen Smith

Brigham Young University

In this episode, we hear from Kathleen Smith, a physics major at Brigham Young University who gave kisses on campus for St. Patrick’s Day as part of a video students hoped would go viral.

About this series: Say Something collects stories from college students about what they’re up to and why. Check for new episodes every three weeks. View more episodes.

Photo: Stuart Edgington Music: Theme by John Gravois

John Regier

McPherson College

In this episode, we hear from John Regier, a junior at McPherson College who is enrolled in a class in which students invest $100,000 of the Kansas college’s endowment in the stock market. He describes how he and his classmates learned to invest with their heads, not their hearts–and how they hope to beat the market.

About this series: Say Something collects stories from college students about what they’re up to and why. Check for new episodes every three weeks. View more episodes.

Photo: McPherson College Music: Theme by John Gravois

“Chances are you’re not going to meet someone … at, you know, some random party.”

Patrick Guimarais

New York University

In this episode, we hear from Patrick Guimarais, a sophomore at New York University and ambassador for the online-dating service DateMySchool. As its campus representative, he hands out fliers—sometimes in the library on study breaks—to promote what he says are the benefits of online dating for busy students.

About this series: Say Something collects stories from college students about what they’re up to and why. Check for new episodes every three weeks. View more episodes.

Photo: Phil Litmanov  Music: Theme by John Gravois

“There are a lot of times I ask myself what I’m doing. You know, I’m 30, playing football. But I enjoy it.”

Daryl Andersen

University of Redlands

In this episode, we hear from Daryl Andersen, a junior at the University of Redlands who owns a construction company and competes on the Division III football team. He describes how he balances work, family, and school—and how playing football has changed his career goals.

About this series: Say Something collects stories from college students about what they’re up to and why. Check for new episodes every three weeks. View more episodes.

Photo: Ellis Hazard Music: Theme by John Gravois

“I really just wanted to continue school.”

Byron Villagran

Los Angeles Trade Technical College

In this episode, we hear from Byron Villagran, 22, who attends Los Angeles Trade Technical College, about getting expelled from high school, discovering an interest in the environment, and deciding to continue his education.

About this series: Say Something collects stories from college students about what they’re up to and why. Check for new episodes every three weeks. View more episodes.

Photo: Courtesy of Byron Villagran Music: Theme by John Gravois

“The first term I ever Googled for was ‘free college credit.’”

Richard Linder

Excelsior College

In this episode, we hear from Richard Linder, who, determined not to take on any student debt, cobbled together an associate degree for $3,000 with academic credit transferred to Excelsior College from an array of unexpected sources. See his transcript below.

About this series: Say Something collects stories from college students about what they’re up to and why. Check for new episodes every three weeks. View more episodes.

Photo: Emily Bryant Music: Theme by John Gravois