From Welfare To (Course) Work
-Karen W. Arenson - NYT

"The stereotype is that people on welfare are lazy," Ms. Alston said. "But education is my world. I'm going to pursue it and nobody is going to stop me. My main goal now is to promote education for others."

More than 100 Hunter students — most of them welfare recipients — have taken the course, called Community Leadership, and they have chalked up striking successes.

They were the original architects of state legislation three years ago that allows welfare recipients to count work-study programs and internships toward their workfare requirements. More recently, they helped shape legislation passed by the City Council this spring to give welfare recipients broader access to education.