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NameKerri Axelrod
Age29
Works inService
Studied atAmerican University
Lives inStoneham, MA
FromAndover, MA
Makes$45,000-$60,000
Current jobServer and freelancer
Jobs since graduationIntern, Office of U.S. Senator John Kerry; interactive media coordinator, The Century Council; deputy press secretary, American Association for Justice; Pennsylvania communications director, Organizing for America
Living arrangementAfter living on my own since graduating college six years ago, I recently moved home and live with my father and step-mother.
How a paycheck
is spent		Working and making money is not a top priority for me right now, since I’m concentrating on changing careers and going back to school. I’m learning to get by with a lot less money left over each month than I’m used to, which is definitely a source of stress and anxiety for me each month. I would say that about 75 to 80 percent of what I make goes to paying off bills – student loans, car payment, phone, medical (lots of medical bills), and just general living expenses (gas, food, etcetera). I could definitely work more and/or hold a job where I make more money, but I’ve chosen to take a job where I can work a minimal amount of hours and “get by,” allowing me time to study and put my energy into my future career. This definitely hasn’t been an easy choice since there are a lot of things that I’m used to having the money to do that I just can’t do anymore, but I know I have made the right decision for me.
InterestsPolitics, yoga, running, nutrition/wellness, fashion, writing, making the world a better place
Favorite
creative work		Edge of Glory by Lady Gaga. After becoming very ill and leaving my job, I’m finally healthy again and have begun to figure out what I want next. The last year has been very difficult for me, but I have started moving in the direction towards a new career in the nutrition and wellness field. I feel like I’m on the cusp, on the edge of really exciting things to come.
Personal motto"We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us." — Joseph Campbell
Survey

Have you moved back in with your parents since college?

Checkbox Yes Checkbox No

Have you taken a job requiring a lower skill level or less education than you have?

Checkbox Yes Checkbox No

Do you feel you are less far along in your career than you had imagined for this age?

Checkbox Yes Checkbox No

Do you feel you are less far along in most other aspects of your life than you imagined at this age (saving money, starting a family, buying a home, et cetera)?

Checkbox Yes Checkbox No

Have you experienced significant emotional distress as a result of your economic situation?

Checkbox Yes Checkbox No

Are you receiving financial support?

Checkbox Yes Checkbox No

Are you optimistic about your future?

Checkbox Yes Checkbox No

Responses from Kerri

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“I somehow failed to meet my own potential and my own expectations.”

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“Work was my life and before I knew it I became my work … The more I worked the more I lost who I was.”

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“My life certainly does not scream: ‘I have it all together, I’m really fun, and come hang out with me.’”

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“Love me or hate me for it … yes, I do feel entitled.”

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“Getting sick has taken a toll on my psychological well-being as I feel like I have lost my social place in the world.”

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“I am six years out of college and I am still $45,000 in debt.”

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“My main duties have gone from writing press releases, attending congressional hearings, and managing national media events to selling guests various types of margaritas.”

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“I refuse to believe that I’m ‘stuck’, but it sure will take a serious amount of determination to get myself out of where I’m at now.”

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