the largest share of any state. Those struggling most with crushing debt are disproportionately students who are low-income, underrepresented minorities and the first in their families to attend college.
Hirschhorn did not disclose the size of the Spiegel family gift but said it surpassed the college’s previous largest gift of $10 million. Spiegel and Kerr offered their historic donation after Hirschhorn told them the college wanted to award the couple honorary degrees and invited them as commencement speakers this year. The couple was not available for an interview.
Hirschhorn said 90% of graduates find jobs in their field of study within six months of graduation and earn an average entry-level pay of about $50,000. The college offers programs in communication arts, digital media, environmental design, fashion design, fine arts, product design and toy design. According to its annual report on California’s creative economy, the sectors directly employed nearly 1.
For Velazquez-Medina, the Spiegel family donation is a lifesaver. Her $70,000 student loan debt is not something her working-class parents, who emigrated from Mexico, could help pay off, but she regarded it as a worthwhile investment in herself and her passion to give creative voice to marginalized communities through design. Her school projects include a visual book on Spanglish and creative females. She has lined up a paid internship with the Libertine fashion brand in Hollywood.