Khadija Baldeh's journey from Gambia to NYC illustrates the challenges faced by non-traditional students at Columbia, particularly around financial aid and stability.
Baldeh expresses her frustration, saying, "The whole point of going to school is to remove yourself from poverty. Before going to Columbia, I was just poor. But now I’m not just poor, I am poor and in debt."
Despite being a determined student who sought opportunities in higher education, Baldeh highlights the significant financial barriers: "Half of the time when I… didn’t have stable housing. I didn’t even have stable internet."
She recounts her struggles with housing insecurity while attending school: "At times, I lost apartments and paid to sleep on people’s couches... with nowhere to go."
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