I love this kid.....way to get it done.

[liv2ski]

Great short article. It is nice to know there are still lots of kids out there, that can get the job done themselves. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/duke-g...12.html?page=1

[iceman]

Those pics are killing me.

[BmillsSkier]

Cool story. Glad it worked out for him.

Get a better major though kid.

[RootSkier]

Yeah, good call going back for a masters in more liberal studies.

Also, the article makes it seem like his life SUCKED ASS.

Student loans are shit, but a small amount is worth it if it means you otherwise miss out on making lifetime friends and having a place to slay the ladies.

[liv2ski]

Also, the article makes it seem like his life SUCKED ASS.

I would agree he took the difficult path that likely 90% of today's people would pass on. That is why I liked the story and I think the kid has a lot of character. Hopefully all the writing classes pay off and he does well. With his attitude and work ethic, I am sure he will do well.

[iceman]

Ken Ilgunas is certainly good at self-promotion, google sez. I think he'll be just fine. The book comes out in the fall!

Just another fuckin Dookie if you ask me.

[GiBo]

He knew he wanted to write. He knew writers had to have something to write about- so he did something to write about. It's cool and all, but it smells like the van thing was as much about saving money as walking the keystone was about exercise.

[MashedPotatoes]

These kinds of stories bug me because they serve to normalize the student loan crisis.. While I respect what he did to get debt-free, the story misses the point that he shouldn't have had to live in a van and sequester himself in AK for 2 years just to get a college education and have a decent shot at a clean start in life. Think about all the poon he missed out on while up in AK. I mean how can that be fair!

[grrrr]

Hey, Desolation Angels was written by a fire lookout. He could write while he's back in the Gates of the Arctic.

[AdironRider]

So your solution is what? Education isnt free, especially grad school. I have a tough time feeling bad about an adult making an aware decision and he knew what he was getting in to.

Its not like he was living in a van to graduate high school. Then you might have a point.

It is a bit of freeloading though.

[snoqpass]

Hey, Desolation Angels was written by a fire lookout. He could write while he's back in the Gates of the Arctic.

Guys like Kerouac don't come around very often

[Steven S. Dallas]

These kinds of stories bug me because they serve to normalize the student loan crisis. While I respect what he did to get debt-free, the story misses the point that he shouldn't have had to live in a van and sequester himself in AK for 2 years just to get a college education and have a decent shot at a clean start in life.

I agree, though I think about it more in terms of the cost of higher education than student loans per se. To those who think he should have just picked a degree that gave him a better chance to find a job- maybe. But there are plenty of jobs that are pretty vital, that require tertiary education, and that still do not pay well.

[Moeghoul]

Was this a typo? Seems like 1970 tuition prices for a school like Duke and a grad program.

He was determined to find a liberal arts program affordable enough to pay his way as he went. He settled on Duke, which charged about $2,500/semester.

[WWCD]

Just another fuckin Dookie if you ask me.

We're not all bad.

[rideit]

Boeheim probably holds a grudge.

[DJSapp]

Was this a typo? Seems like 1970 tuition prices for a school like Duke and a grad program.

He was determined to find a liberal arts program affordable enough to pay his way as he went. He settled on Duke, which charged about $2,500/semester.

Grad school pricing is, well, variable. The saying goes, only a sucker pays for grad school. Most of my friends who went ended up getting paid by the school to get their masters, phd, etc.

That said, he couldn't find a job in 2005 after applying for twenty five internships. TWENTY FIVE! What did he do the next week? 2005 wasn't exactly the depths of darkness and despair. He wanted this experience.