Generation Stuck

Twelve 20-somethings chronicle their lives for WBUR. Learn more.

Name	Vincent Capone
Age	25
Works in	Research
Studied at	UMass Amherst, UMass Boston
Lives in	Somerville, MA
From	Winthrop, MA
Makes	$15,000-$25,000

Current job

Document archivist

Jobs since graduation

Social studies teacher, Teach for America; tutor, UMass Amherst's Learning Resource Center; instructor, UMass Boston's OLLI Institute

Living arrangement

Living in apartment with two roommates

How a paycheck
is spent

I'd say a good chunk of it goes towards my rent payment, while the remainder is spent on food, eating out, and activities.

Interests

History, writing

Favorite
creative work

The film Detachment, starring Adrien Brody, chronicles events within an inner city high school as seen through Brody's character, a substitute teacher. The film strongly mirrors challenges teachers face in the American classroom including lack of parental involvement, disintegrating respect for teachers, and growing peer pressure among students.

Personal motto

"There's plenty of time to sleep when you're dead."

Survey

Have you moved back in with your parents since college?	Yes No
Have you taken a job requiring a lower skill level or less education than you have?	Yes No
Do you feel you are less far along in your career than you had imagined for this age?	Yes 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)?	Yes No
Have you experienced significant emotional distress as a result of your economic situation?	Yes No
Are you receiving financial support?	Yes No
Are you optimistic about your future?	Yes No

Responses from Vincent

“There was a long period where I thought that I would need to put teaching behind me.”

“I quickly grew disenchanted and frustrated when it came to applying for jobs … responding to over two dozen Craigslist posts a day.”

“The one relationship that was strained the most was with my very good friend.”

“I do not agree that my generation is the ‘entitlement’ generation.”

“Having chosen to study at a state school has protected me from racking up huge amounts of student-loan debt.”

“It’s evident that the liberal arts are being pushed aside and devalued in America.”

“In an effort to get a job out of the gate, I joined Teach for America … The program was terrible, no support, and … put me down $20,000 in loans.”

“Two years of teaching experience under my belt … yet I can’t even get my foot in the door as a teacher’s aide or substitute.”

Responses from Vincent

“September 18th is the day I see the last student-loan payment I’ll ever have to write for my undergraduate education cashed.” —Seth

Generation Stuck