With Obama, students would be rewarded for volunteer work

Editor,

I was searching for information on the presidential candidates' positions on higher education, where I have worked for 14 years in New Mexico. I was disappointed with the Albuquerque Journal's coverage on higher education, which sent me to the candidates' Web sites.

The first position I found interesting was Barack Obama's plan to offer $4,000 for college students who perform 100 hours of community service. I went to college when the CETA program helped college students and required them to work in community agencies. When I was 15 years old, I frequented my neighborhood community center, Friendly House, in Worcester, Mass. I remember meeting older college students and learning about college. I was sold and soon became a first-generation college student.

With an incentive for college students to volunteer, many more could have an exposure to college, and even though $4,000 may not seem like much, it would pay for CNM and a part of the tuition at UNM. I now have a doctorate from UNM in organizational learning and instructional technology, and I support Obama's higher-education plan. Do you?

Carol Richmond

UNM alumna