Last Mile Education Fund just surprised 22 tech graduates by paying their student debt. Here’s why.
In May 2020, Aliya Kingwood graduated from Morgan State University, a historically Black institution in Baltimore in the midst of the COVID-19 shut-down. It had taken her eight long years to complete her undergraduate degree in computer and electrical engineering. Pregnant at the age of 19, she had a young son to raise while pursuing a challenging and time intensive degree. She nearly gave up several times. She says she failed out and dropped out for a year. The Last Mile Education Fund provided her a laptop and other necessities needed to finish her degree. Two years after graduating, she is paying it forward as a tutor for Baltimore youth through the Algebra Project. She dreams of a career in technology education, but student debt looms large. [VIDEO — she talks about dream to teach other Baltimore kids]
This month, Last Mile Education Fund surprised Aliya and 21 other alumni with a commitment to pay up to $20,000 of their student debt through the Last Mile Debt Relief Initiative for Tech Equity. She describes this opportunity as life changing.
“This will help free up money on a monthly basis, which will allow me to invest in myself and my 7-year old son, freeing up time to continue to work on my tech teaching career.”
Kingwood’s story is similar to her fellow Last Mile grantees and students like her who take longer to complete a degree because of financial struggles. Just 11% of students from the lowest income quartile, and 20% from the second-lowest graduate within 6 years of starting college. The debt that low-income students incur on the extended journey to earn a degree can have a lifelong negative impact on their financial prospects and inhibit their ability to accumulate wealth, even when employed in a lucrative tech role. Overwhelming student debt limits a graduate’s ability to be selective in her job search, pursue advanced degrees, purchase a home, or build businesses.
For Ruthe Farmer, founder and CEO of Last Mile, relieving recent graduates of their student debt means freedom. She wants young women and young people to have the freedom to choose to work at a startup at lower salaries than big tech or has less job security — but potentially huge rewards, to choose a path to graduate school or academic research, to work in public service tech or education, or to start their own tech ventures.
“Young people who come from lower-resourced communities but nonetheless persist to achieve a technology degree, are proven problem solvers and innovators.” shared Farmer. “Clearing debt for them means unlocking enormous potential. We can’t wait to see the technology solutions they will create, and the problems they will solve.”
Upon receiving the news of her award KaYesu Mpumwire Machayo, who graduates in May with a computer science degree from The George Washington University, said,
“This is going to change my life. This is going to change my younger sister’s life, who’s going to college. It’s going to put me in a better position to support her. It’s going to change my family’s life.” [longer video clip]
With an initial $500,000 investment, Last Mile has barely scratched the surface of debt owed by our alumni, not to mention low-income technology students as a whole. Last Mile received requests to pay educational debt in excess of $2 million from 56 applicants, which represents an average of $37,000 of student debt per person. However, multiple applicants reported debt in excess of six figures, with the largest amount of debt owed by a single applicant exceeding $200,000.
Recipient Carmen Ramirez Morales recently graduated from Western Governors, an online university based in Millcreek, Utah, in cybersecurity. She said,
“I think that all of us know the hardships that we go through. One bump can just throw us off our goals and our path. This debt relief makes it so much easier to keep going and to just keep facing those challenges.” Ramirez Morales goes on, “I’ve always said, ‘Any investment anyone makes in me, I know it’s going to be magnified.’”
Farmer is fully committed to diversifying the technology workforce.
“We need tech that’s going to help families and women and communities and the environment and create a more just world,” she said. “And I think that’s something that women and non-binary students and, especially people of color, are going to do for tech. Facilitating their success benefits all of society.”
The following Last Mile Education Fund alumni are recipients of the Debt Relief Initiative for Tech Equity.
Stefani Barrera, Texas A&M University — Corpus Christi, Computer Science, Class of 2020
Kylie Chambers, Oregon State University, Computer Science, Class of 2022
Sonya Cirlos, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Computer Science, Class of 2022
Melissa Grandoit, Florida International University, Information Technology, Class of 2021
Aliya Kingwood, Morgan State University,
Computer and Electrical Engineering, Class of 2020
Sharlena Luyen, Oregon State University, Computer Science, Class of 2021
KaYesu Machayo, The George Washington University, Computer Science, Class of 2022
Zanib Malik, George Mason University, Cybersecurity, Class of 2021
Jennifer Marquez, Hofstra University, Computer Science, Class of 2020
Mariella “Alejandra” Massuh, Florida International University,
Computer Science, Class of 2021
Carolann Mora, University of Houston-Downtown, Computer Science, Class of 2021
Carmen Ramirez Morales, Western Governors University, Cybersecurity, Class of 2021
Juliana Paul, Delaware State University, Information Technology, Class of 2022
Jasmine Pittman, North Carolina Central University, Information Technology, Class of 2021
Gentle Ramirez, New York University, Computer Science, Class of 2022
Natalie Reyes, University of Illinois at Chicago, Computer Software Engineering, Class of 2022
Corina Salas, Saint Xavier University, Computer Science, Class of 2021
Morgan Thompson, California State University — Dominguez Hills,
Computer Technology/Computer Systems Technology, Class of 2021
Talia Tomarchio, Rowan University, Computer Science, Class of 2021
Rian Walker, Mississippi State University, Computer Software Engineering, Class of 2018
Emma Wolff, Mount Holyoke College,
Computer Science and International Relations, Class of 2021
Juleeyah Wright, University of Central Florida, Computer Science, Class of 2021
The inaugural recipients of the Last Mile Debt Relief Initiative for Tech Equity are an impressive group of emerging technologists. Several have already started businesses and non-profit organizations, and many are parents or are supporting siblings or family members. They’ve each overcome extraordinary obstacles to complete their degrees, and are poised to make an impact in tech. The initial cohort of 22 recipients hail from 13 US states, and 45% are Hispanic/Latino, 36% are African American/Black, and 82% are first generation college graduates.
More resources are needed. This is merely round one of funding for this initiative and Last Mile hopes to similarly support alumni in the future.
To celebrate the achievements of these recipients follow Last Mile at @LastMileFund and to support more phenomenal women, donate today.
