Amethyst has been on her own since her mother kicked her out of her house at the age of 15. We’re not using her last name to protect her privacy. After graduating high school in 2019, she enrolled in Lane Community College in Eugene to study paramedicine.
Throughout high school and during part of her time in college she experienced housing and food insecurity.
“One, when you re having to pay for college by yourself, you re gonna lose a lot of money,” said Amethyst. “And then you have to pay for your housing, and then you have to pay for your food and you re not able to make a livable wage, because you know, you re still trying to pursue your education. Like it seems impossible.”