“The college is prepping me to be the best person I can be.”

Zaya Carson, FR in Biochemistry from Des Moines, Iowa

Zaya Carson has big dreams and McPherson College is helping her achieve them. Zaya is a freshman majoring in biochemistry and hopes to someday become a doctor in genetic research science. She knows it means years of education ahead of her and could mean staggering student debt. That is why she decided to join the Student Debt Project.

“I came to campus for Presidential Scholars Day and immediately fell in love with it,” Zaya said. “I love the atmosphere of the smaller classrooms and I love the professors.”

Zaya had applied to much larger schools before deciding on McPherson College. The cost was a concern at first. She didn’t want to burden her family or herself with a lot of debt, she said.

“As soon as I found out I was accepted into the Student Debt Project, I was super excited because it meant I could come to the school that I wanted to go to and be able to pay for it,” she said.

Zaya said she knew she would have to work through college no matter where she attended. Being part of the Student Debt Project, which matches a percentage of every dollar a student earns and contributes to their education, makes it easy for her to see that she can reach her financial and educational goals.

“Coming here and seeing how well I am doing is a big confidence boost,” she said. “As long as I apply myself, I can do anything I want to.”

She appreciates the financial literacy education she is receiving as part of the program as well, and admits that she needs more practice at sticking to a budget. She is learning about setting realistic expectations, credit card management, and budgeting. It all helps her feel independent and confident about her future.

“The school really cares about investing in its students,” she said. “It’s not just about learning to manage my budget. It’s about how to start my career in a job force that is really competitive. The college is prepping me to be the best person I can be. I wouldn’t have that support at a bigger school.”