‘The things he wants to do to dismantle the Department of Education are really scary.’

Ariel Diebels is a psychology major in her third year at UW-Milwaukee. After graduation, Diebels plans on working as a school psychologist. Diebel’s concerns about her future and the future of fellow Americans increase daily following President Trump’s election.

Ella Ragan: How did you and where were you when you found out about the election results?

Ariel Diebels: I had just woken up for a 6 a.m. shift, so I was at my house. I had looked on Google to see the results and saw that Trump had won.

Ragan: And what were your initial thoughts and feelings to the results?

Diebels: My initial thoughts and feelings were disgust and fear. I was disgusted because I really felt like America could do better, and I really thought that she (Kamala Harris) was going to win. I also just didn’t believe the results, and I still don’t believe the results. I feel like there’s no way she didn’t win. I felt fear because I’m a woman who’s also a student. I knew what he wanted to do with the Department of Education, and I knew that he wanted to take away all abortion rights, which isn’t okay. I believe that a woman should have the choice to do what she wants with her own body.

Ragan: How have you been feeling about the first few months of Trump’s presidency?

Diebels: I think Trump is doing a horrible job. I’d say he’s one of the worst presidents we’ve ever had. I am scared every day for the remainder of the presidency since we’re not even a year through it, and we still have more than three years.

Ragan: How has Trump’s presidency personally affected you?

Diebels: It’s personally affected me because, like I said, I’m a student. So the things that he wants to do to dismantle the Department of Education are really scary to me. I go to a public university and I use financial aid to cover most of my tuition. So it’s scary to me to know that that could go away and that I would not be able to go to college. Also, I’m going to school to be a school psychologist, so knowing that I will most likely work in a public school when I’m done. That school might not have the public funding that they need because of Trump’s choices.

Ragan: We are currently almost a month into the government shutdown. How has this shutdown affected you and those around you?

Diebels: One thing that I have to say about it is that it just doesn’t make sense to me. Trump is blaming the Democratic Party even though his party is the one that controls the House and the Senate. And I just feel like he sounds like a fucking moron. How can he blame it on the Democrats when he has the majority in both of those legislative parts of the government. Another big thing about the government shutdown is that, come November, people on food stamps won’t be receiving those benefits. And it’s not personally affecting me, but growing up my mom had food stamps. That was really nice because she was a single mom who worked, and she needed them to be able to provide for me and my brother. So I know how it affects people when their food stamps get cut off. Grocery prices are high, so they can’t afford to pay for groceries, and that’s what the food stamps are for. It shouldn’t matter the reason someone needs food stamps; they’re on it for a reason. Just because of their situation, it doesn’t mean that they don’t deserve to eat. I just don’t think it’s fair to those who are being affected by it.