When Steven Baldwin started his freshman year at Austin Peay State University in 2012, he had a smart, carefully considered plan for his future.
He was going to earn a science-related degree tailored specifically to help APSU students get highly technical – and high-paying – jobs at Hemlock Semiconductor’s $1.2 million plant in Clarksville.
Two things happened:
The plant, one of the biggest commercial investments in Clarksville’s history, fell on hard times, eventually closing.
And Steven, 22, found himself struggling in physics and calculus classes.
“Sometimes I think they should offer a class called ‘Life After College,’ ” he says. “It would be super helpful to know more about life skills in general. We’ve been in school our entire lives. It can be terrifying to think about the future.’’
Baldwin, along with hordes of other Tennessee college graduates leaving four-year schools this spring, find themselves in what experts say is (continue reading)