Drug Death in my Family

Within a year of my return to New Jersey, my mother was dead of her drug addiction, and our family has never recovered from the damage she did during those years of cocaine abuse.

Sent to Collection by Hampshire College

What happened next is something that I still do not understand even decades later. Despite the fact that the bill for Hampshire College had been in my parents’ name, I was sent to collection for the outstanding $10,000 tuition due.

Pursued by the Alumni Fund

It was ironic that the first letter I received from Hampshire’s collection agency arrived on the same day as the first letter I received from Hampshire’s Alumni Fund office. I placed the collection notice in the postage paid Annual Fund envelope and returned it to Hampshire with the first of many letters stating that their shortsighted administrative policies would forever cost the college any alumni contribution that they might have received from me.

My Transcripts Held Hostage

My anger at Hampshire would have kept me from ever paying my fifth semester bill, except that the College was withholding my transcripts and would not allow me to transfer any of my credits out of the school until they received payment in full.

Working to Pay Hampshire College

Despite the training I had received at Hampshire in architecture, computer science, and writing, my highest paid skill was still as an artist. For nearly the next two years, I returned to New Jersey and worked painting murals and installing raised roofs on custom vans to earn the money to get my transcripts released.

Permanent Health Costs

I earned the money, but unfortunately the paint I used was extremely toxic, and I had to quit the job when I went into liver shutdown. It is likely that I will have heath issues from that exposure for the rest of my life.

Credit Ruined, Education Delayed

The amount of time it took me to earn the $10,000 not only delayed my education by two years, it also resulted in Hampshire ruining my credit. When I was finally able to transfer to the University of Massachusetts, my bad credit prevented me from taking student loans, and I had to earn the money for each course I needed working part time. This meant that I could only take one or two classes per semester and it took me ten years to graduate.

My Career Destroyed

I completed my degree at the age of thirty-four years old instead of twenty-four years old, making my baccalaureate practically worthless for someone my age.