If there is one thing in this life that not a single soul can take away from you, it is your education. Your education molds you not only for the potential workforce you may enter in life, but who you are as a person. What you enable yourself to learn later presents you with the opportunity to make an impact in this world. No matter what your field may be, the great thing about being an American is the golden opportunity to rise to these occasions. You may be in the medical field, legal field, arts administration or even social work. There is no field "less valuable" when you are working to strengthen the place you call home. Working for our local communities not only creates an impact on our neighbors, but on a much bigger scale, the world.

In case you haven’t heard the news buzzing all around Kentucky, current governor Matt Bevin has proposed alarming budget cuts to higher education, because we simply "can’t afford" an investment in our public universities. As a first-generation college student, I am appalled that we have elected someone who opposes making the single greatest human capital investment in our economy. Matt Bevin said “All the people in the world that want to study French literature can do so, they are just not going to be subsidized by the taxpayer like engineers.” Making his case that liberal arts students, of whom many go on to professional schools to increase their education, to get those better paying jobs, aren’t worthy of tax payer dollars. Have I mentioned yet that Matt Bevin holds a bachelor’s degree in East Asian Studies? Which is a liberal arts program?

I am over this political rhetoric. To me, Matt Bevin seems as if he wants to prioritize his own legacy of building this “Republican Powerhouse” in this commonwealth rather than helping the next generation of workers, and students that will carry this commonwealth through a global economy. He is deceiving the public, posting videos claiming house Democrats aren’t working on the budget, when in fact they are doing everything they can to salvage an education budget that puts students first, not politics.

If you are currently a student in the state of Kentucky you are at risk. If you receive financial aid in the form of KEES money, CAP Grants, Loans and yes, academic scholarships, you are at an even greater risk. These incentives are likely to be cut by universities and government offices, not by choice, but because governor Matt Bevin and the GOP’s ever so popular "trickle down" policies present administrations with no other choice but to cut more into the pockets of students because we just "can’t afford" to subsidize the education of all students.

As I continue my path of education, I always remember who and what I represent. I represent a generation that will not stop until the good fight is done. I represent my Appalachian community that is bare in terms of higher education, where as little as 15 percent of the population holds a bachelor’s degree or higher. I represent my family and friends who encourage me to be the best I can be, on all levels. Education is the key to decreasing poverty, and where I come from, poverty is a term we hear far too often. If we expect businesses to commit to building and growing this commonwealth we must rely on a workforce that is not only diverse, but trained and equipped with the hard skills needed to compete in a growing global economy.

The reality of this situation, Mr. Governor, is we “can’t afford” to cut Higher-Education funding, because if we cut post-secondary education funding we are not only cutting dreams and aspirations of bright Kentucky students, we are creating barriers on these students that could potentially “trickle down” into our local economies. We need to discourage the "cookie cutter" mindset where there is only one way to success; many successful people have preached to travel the road less traveled. Would you consider that your case, since you hold an East Asian Studies degree, Governor?

We need leaders to represent this state with unbridled spirit, because far too many generations of Kentuckians know that with hard work, anything is possible. Stand with our students today, because we are the leaders of tomorrow.