Webcam update: Athina goes back to school
Dec 6, 2012, 12:15 PM
ATHENS (AP) – The last time we met Athina, she was preparing to plunge into the harsh job market in Athens, where young people face staggering unemployment rates.
Her mother wasn’t getting paid in her job on Lemnos island, meaning she could barely afford to send Athina’s living expenses. Athina’s neighborhood, infested with right-wing thugs, was falling apart amid brutal austerity cutbacks. Then came more bad news: The 22-year-old English major discovered she didn’t have enough credits to graduate from university and had to return to school.
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This is an update of Class of 2012, the AP’s yearlong exploration of Europe’s economic crisis through the eyes of five young graduates. Follow the class on its new Google plus page:
http://apne.ws/ClassOf2012
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It hasn’t all been gloom. The pastry shop where Athina’s mother works started paying wages again, meaning the family can now start sending Athina 100 euros ($120) per week to live on.
And she has a new family member: Ziggy, a female Jack Russell puppy terrier that Athina adopted.
“I feel lonely in Athens and the dog is the best company I could ever have.”
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Next up … Lucy
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Follow The Class of 2012 on its new Google plus page:
http://apne.ws/ClassOf2012
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Follow The Class of 2012 on the AP Big Story page:
http://bigstory.ap.org/topic/class-2012
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Follow The Class of 2012 on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/(hash)!/AP/class-of-2012
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