from Grace O'Malley: I'm a public school teacher in Baltimore.

When I step into my classroom, I'm greeted by our country's future mayors, artists, and innovators who share a deep appreciation for education and the role it plays in their future success. My students and their families work tirelessly toward these dreams each and every day.

My parents are both public servants who have worked hard their whole lives to put the people of Baltimore and Maryland first. So when it came time for me to go to college, I had to make a tough choice: do I go to the college we can afford or do I take out loans to go to the college of my dreams? At the age of 18, I made the decision to follow my dreams. My family and I now face years of debt—and we know we're not the only ones.

That's my story. What's yours? https://martinomalley.com/debt-free-college/?ms=7715

I often wonder what my students’ stories will be: will they look at a college application and realize they can't afford the application fees? Will they graduate facing decades of unfair interest loans? Will they, like so many, end up paying not only their debt, but their children's?

We have to be in this together. We have to share our stories far and wide so my dad can travel across the country to share them with other Americans who face this same challenge—and tell them how he'll help. He did a lot of great work in Maryland on this issue, most notably freezing tuition costs for four years, making Maryland universities more affordable.

Now, he has a plan to fix this problem nationwide and make college debt-free for everyone. Tell your story today, and we’ll let you in on his plan first thing Wednesday morning:

http://martinomalley.com/debt-free-college

To really make a dent in student debt, the federal government will have to act. We shouldn't be punished for working hard and following our dreams. My dad knows that, and he has a plan to fix it.

thanks,
Grace O'Malley