Emily Nugent, a 19-year-old sophomore at Berea College in Kentucky, was featured on National Public Radio as part of a month-long series entitled Hard Times. She is a graduate of Lapeer West High School.

Berea is unique among liberal arts colleges in the United States. Historically it has provided low-cost education to low-income students. It is also the first college in the southern U.S. to become racially integrated.

Nugent is studying political science.

Here’s how NPR describes the series:

The series features stories of economic hardship and also stories of hope. We asked for ideas from listeners, and Emily Nugent of Berea College in Kentucky responded, writing: “With a student body composed entirely of students from low socio-economic backgrounds, Berea students know about the challenges Americans are facing.” Noah Adams went in search of Emily and the Berea College story.

Click here to listen to the report online.