Admirable Angela

In Class Matters, Angela W.'s move from deep, hard-set poverty to comfortable middle class is both admirable and eye-opening. It didn't seem long ago that her and her five children (all by different fathers) were living on the streets, in crack houses, and in squalor. But after she met Vincent A., who later became her husband, her life turned around.

The book's experts say that Angela's rise on the social ladder "shows the importance of work and marriage. She found a good man and a good job. The thinking now is, it takes both to move out of poverty." Angela's marriage allowed her to find some financial stability while she returned to school to become a nurse. After graduating, she found a job that required her to work strange hours, but paid her $83,000. That's a lot of money for someone who usually didn't have $8 to spend on food.

I agree with this. By getting a job, Angela proved her own self-worth and found a way to stand on her own two feet. She ended up earning more a year than her police detective husband! But the marriage was equally as important. Having a dual-partnership, just the basic necessity of human companionship--knowing someone is on your side--helps with the psyche of someone who's trying to make their life better. Having two people working together to raise a family and bring in income is always better than one person struggling to have ends meet.

Angela's story is a true tale of companionship, and the financial and emotion benefits of it. She is a true testament in self-belief and hard work.