Despair over Future Fuels Political Anxiety for College Students on the Cusp of Adulthood – WTOP News
- On Sept. 15, 2026, Michigan State University senior Frankie Llerandi attended a campaign event for William Lawrence, the Democratic candidate for Michigan's 7th District, highlighting widespread political restlessness among students.
- Economic anxiety persists despite a 7.2% unemployment rate for those aged 22 to 27, higher than the broader 4.1% rate; Texas-based economist Kathryn Edwards noted recent college graduate unemployment reached 5.6%, complicating young adults' financial stability.
- Students face AI-powered job hunting and rising housing costs that fuel despair. Marla McGraw, assistant dean of career management in Michigan State's business school, tells them, "The job market is tough, but you're tougher."
- Disruptive candidates are gaining support among disillusioned students, with Julian Bautista, 20, planning to leave the United States for the Netherlands, citing what he views as a "failure of democracy" led by corrupt politicians.
- Global violence and political instability compound student anxiety. Kira Saiti, a 19-year-old sophomore, struggles to maintain hope, saying, "It's kind of hard to look at that and say, 'This world is a great place.
46 Articles
46 Articles
Despair over future fuels anxiety for college students
EAST LANSING, Mich. — For many college students around the country, the present looks bleak and the future uncertain at best. Young people’s anxiety is fueling a restlessness with a national political system that they worry is no longer capable of improving their lives or no longer interested in helping.
Despair over future fuels political anxiety for college students on the cusp of adulthood – WTOP News
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Frankie Llerandi, 21, has been unable to land a single internship in his three years at Michigan State University. He will graduate in the spring with an economics degree and an interest in data analytics, but true adulthood seems maddeningly far away. Most of his cousins have not been able...
Despair over future fuels political anxiety for college students on th
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Frankie Llerandi, 21, has been unable to land a single internship in his three years at Michigan State University. He will graduate in the spring with an economics degree and an interest
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