New Mexico's tuition-free college plan would be among the most progressive in the country. But student activists say it relies too much on money from oil.
"Two things have been on Jonathon Juarez’s mind for some time now: the first is going to college, the second is the impending climate apocalypse.
As a senior at Native American Community Academy, Jonathon, 17, has been contemplating his next steps after high school. And as an organizer for Albuquerque's climate strike, he's worried about the future of New Mexico, a state on the front lines of climate change in the middle of a seemingly endless fracking boom.
“I’ve gone to public school and I’ve seen how bad our education is and how much funding we require,” Emese said. “But I don’t think it’s worth it.”
“I’m 15, so by 2030, which we expect is going to be the ‘no turning back’ point for climate change, I will be done with college,” Emese added. “That’s when I will be really starting my life. After I go through that entire process of high school and college, I won’t be able to enjoy the fruits of my labor.”
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