Visit to housing project brings back vivid memories
Timothy Williams
Issue date: 4/14/09 Section: Special Report
On top of everything else, Philpot found she was pregnant during her senior year of high school and eventually had to drop out.
"I was really in shock," Philpot said, "and I knew it was going to be a problem because I was a straight-A student, and everybody in the family knew that and at the same time knew that my mom was on drugs and knew that (school) was my way our of this situation because I was very smart."
Soon thereafter, Philpot ended up getting married, took her brothers and moved in with her spouse, who was also living on minimum wage. With Philpot being out of work, she said the family struggled to just get by.
After her son was born, Philpot went back to working minimum wage jobs and eventually went back to finish high school.
"I went back after my son was a year old, and that's when I graduated…," Philpot said. "I went to Daylab (alternative school), which is in Aiken County."
Philpot also said that when her son was born, things began to turn around and she became more focused on getting her life on track.
"I would accredit him for saving my life," Philpot said. "In a way, my son has been a savior to my life… If I has stayed the way I was, I would've either been dead or been in jail."
Philpot said that she became more dedicated to her education by the motivation of providing her son with a better life than the one she had.
"The bottom-line for me was this: am I going to be like the same mother that I had…?" Philpot said. "That wasn't an option for me."
With the drive of encouragement, Philpot scored well on her SAT, which landed her a position as an after-school tutor. This led to her acceptance to Augusta State where she earned her Bachelor of Art and Bachelor of Science degrees.
Philpot explained that life was difficult: raising children, going to class and working multiple minimum wage jobs all at the same time. She also said that it's impossible to live on one job alone.
"There's no way for you to survive legally by working one job if you're getting paid minimum wage," Philpot said.
"It doesn't matter what the minimum wage is because wherever the minimum wage is set at, it's always below living standard… It will never carry the cost of living even for one person, so if you add other things into your equation, like children, in a which you have to have insurance for children, you have to have food for children and things like that, you're going to come up short."
Philpot said she has given back to the community by building a dance school that is open particularly for girls who are in a similar position. Philpot is also preparing to travel overseas to the Netherlands to pursue a degree in medicine.
"I was really in shock," Philpot said, "and I knew it was going to be a problem because I was a straight-A student, and everybody in the family knew that and at the same time knew that my mom was on drugs and knew that (school) was my way our of this situation because I was very smart."
Soon thereafter, Philpot ended up getting married, took her brothers and moved in with her spouse, who was also living on minimum wage. With Philpot being out of work, she said the family struggled to just get by.
After her son was born, Philpot went back to working minimum wage jobs and eventually went back to finish high school.
"I went back after my son was a year old, and that's when I graduated…," Philpot said. "I went to Daylab (alternative school), which is in Aiken County."
Philpot also said that when her son was born, things began to turn around and she became more focused on getting her life on track.
"I would accredit him for saving my life," Philpot said. "In a way, my son has been a savior to my life… If I has stayed the way I was, I would've either been dead or been in jail."
Philpot said that she became more dedicated to her education by the motivation of providing her son with a better life than the one she had.
"The bottom-line for me was this: am I going to be like the same mother that I had…?" Philpot said. "That wasn't an option for me."
With the drive of encouragement, Philpot scored well on her SAT, which landed her a position as an after-school tutor. This led to her acceptance to Augusta State where she earned her Bachelor of Art and Bachelor of Science degrees.
Philpot explained that life was difficult: raising children, going to class and working multiple minimum wage jobs all at the same time. She also said that it's impossible to live on one job alone.
"There's no way for you to survive legally by working one job if you're getting paid minimum wage," Philpot said.
"It doesn't matter what the minimum wage is because wherever the minimum wage is set at, it's always below living standard… It will never carry the cost of living even for one person, so if you add other things into your equation, like children, in a which you have to have insurance for children, you have to have food for children and things like that, you're going to come up short."
Philpot said she has given back to the community by building a dance school that is open particularly for girls who are in a similar position. Philpot is also preparing to travel overseas to the Netherlands to pursue a degree in medicine.
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