About

Today’s twenty-somethings were raised on a promise that never seemed to pan out. Having grown up in an economy that did nothing but expand, they graduated into the worst recession since the Great Depression.
WBUR put a call out to collect the stories of this generation, and they came flooding in. From the dozens and dozens of submissions we received, we chose twelve young people to share their lives. Through their stories , and your own, Generation Stuck explores what it means to be a twenty-something in this struggling economy.

Kat & Sam

Several years out of college and nowhere nearer to their dreams, Kat and Sam are recording audio diaries of their journeys for WBUR.

Kat, 26, is working as a bartender in Somerville, but it’s making her miserable. She worries the gap is widening between her and her plans. Desperate to make a change, she’s quitting her job and moving home — with no idea what comes next.

Her Story ›

Sam, 27, is living with his dad in small-town Massachusetts, waiting tables and killing time. He dreams of a career in journalism and longs to return to city life. But without a safety net underneath him, he is terrified of taking the leap.

His Story ›

Bloggers

Ten twenty-somethings from around New England are documenting their lives and responding to a series of topics exploring the challenges that face their generation. Visit the blog to read all of their entries.

Genevieve Salem

Genevieve, 25, has been unemployed for more than a year, and recently had to move back home with her parents. She worries that the longer she's out of work, the less seriously she is being taken by employers.

Vincent Capone

Vincent, 25, had a bad experience with Teach for America that left him without a job and $20,000 in debt. Now, he's working his way through grad school and searching for a teaching job in a tough market.

Cheyenne Postell

Cheyenne, 24, is working multiple jobs in the theater industry as she struggles to piece together a living. She loves the work, but questions whether she will ever be able to pay off her student-loan debt.

Seth Maloney

Seth, 23, lost his father not long after graduation. His savings decimated, he lives and works out of his small apartment, putting his income toward college loans and trying to figure out what comes next.

Kerri Axelrod

Kerri, 29, was rising fast in the world of politics, until stress and health issues forced her to re-evaluate her path. Now she's living at home, working as a server, and trying to stay positive as she starts all over again.

Christine Beckett

Christine, 27, graduated from law school into one of the worst legal job markets ever. She wound up at home, unemployed, with nearly $200,000 in student loans. She feels years behind the plans she laid out.

Morgan Derby

Morgan, 25, teaches at a charter school. She's working toward a Master's as her debts continue to mount — not helped by a family member who forged her name on a $15,000 loan. Still, she considers herself lucky.

Sophy Tuttle

Sophy, 26, is an illustrator. Unable to find a job in her field, she is coming to terms with the fact that the economic reality may not support her artistic dreams and re-evaluating her ideas of happiness and success.

Roxanne Palmer

Roxanne, 25, is working as a science journalist and chipping away at her student loans. Her real concern is for the older generation, having watched her own parents lose their jobs and struggle to keep up.

Nathan Brin

Nathan, 28, has struggled to hold down a permanent job since graduation. Disillusioned, he is living at home, struggling to keep up on his loan payments and to manage his diabetes without health insurance.

Topics

Comprised of the economic and psychological challenges facing this generation, these eight topics are the focus of interaction and discussion in the Generation Stuck series.

Data

WBUR partnered with AMP Agency, an integrated communications agency based in Boston, to conduct a national survey on the status and viewpoints of 22-to-29 years olds. The data in this series represents the top-line results.

Your Stories

We are collecting Stories From Generation Stuck. Whether you're a twenty-something, or the parent of a twenty-something, struggling, disillusioned, or optimistic, we want to hear your story. Or record your story at 617-353-0683.

iLab

Generation Stuck is the debut series of the iLab, a new initiative at WBUR dedicated to innovation in public radio. The iLab is at the center of WBUR's commitment to expanding the boundaries of public radio in the digital age.