While most seniors are worried about their post-graduation futures, senior Stephen Quist is worrying about all of ours. Quist, a senior in marketing, is making a run for a seat in the Iowa House of Representatives in Des Moines. He is running in District 46, which encompasses the ISU campus, Campustown and North Ames.

The average student debt at Iowa State University is over $30,000. This is approximately 10 percent more than the University of Iowa and 16 percent more than Northern Iowa. Additionally, the average unemployment rate for college graduates is 9.4 percent. This may not be very shocking as the unemployment rate for the United States is a little over 8 percent. But know this — the underemployment rate for college graduates is estimated at around 50 percent. This means college graduates are filling low-paying jobs they are overqualified for.

I am not trying to belittle those who work low-paying jobs, so do not interpret my statement as contemptuous. However, if one shells out tens of thousands of dollars for a higher education, wouldn’t one want said education to be applicable post-graduation?

One of Quist’s main platforms is reducing the amount of debt graduating seniors face by encouraging job creation and growth within the state of Iowa. He plans to do this by lowering tax and regulatory burdens on businesses, meanwhile creating a high level of certainty so they can more accurately plan for the future. His opponent, Lisa Heddens, has voted several times against tax reductions for businesses and is rated by the National Federation of Independent Businesses as 43-percent favorable towards businesses. The same group has fully endorsed Stephen Quist.

If the Iowa business sectors across the state cannot grow, we as college students face an ever increasing chance of being unemployed or underemployed. While this is not the only factor causing extreme underemployment among graduates, it is definitely a great place to start. Therefore, it would appear the path forward is clear. ISU students must take action by voting for Stephen Quist on Nov. 6.