I just have to start off my column this week by saying that I am truly impressed.

I received a letter from a man in the UK which said he read my column on the web and he enjoys our paper. Isn’t technology great?

At least now I know I’m writing for someone other than myself, and I appreciate all of you who read each week. Thanks for letting me express my thoughts and ideas this summer.

On to my usual complaint-fest.

I like working for the Daily, but I’ve been trying to pick up some extra money before school starts in another month.

I have applied at several places around town in the last month, to no avail. Many of the jobs I’ve applied for require little to no special skills other than knowing how to count and smile at customers.

My question is this: why can’t I get a freakin’ part-time job?

I left all my past jobs on good terms, and I used to think that would be enough to secure myself a good standing in the job market.

Then I went to a community college and got my associate of arts degree. You would think that would give me some advantage over others who might be applying to run a cash register or sell clothing, but I was insanely wrong.

Recently there has been some controversy in Iowa City about merchants putting up signs reading “Help Wanted, No Students Please.” Am I the only one who thinks this is some serious discrimination?

Why would a business limit themselves by refusing to hire capable people who are in need of money to pay their numerous bills?

I have been thinking that maybe, just maybe, this same type of discrimination occurs right here in Ames. Could it be true — our fair town discriminates against penniless students?

It truly frightens me that even with a high school diploma, an associate of arts degree and only one year of college left to get my bachelor of science degree, I am not qualified to ring up a dinner check or tell someone which way it is to Radio Shack!

I don’t know if anyone else has experienced this phenomenon in Ames.

If so, I’d love to hear your stories. Maybe I could even use them in a future column.

Getting all these rejections before I finish college has helped to prepare me for my future flush letters.

However, it concerns me that if I’m not qualified for minimum- wage jobs now, how will I be able to get a decent job to pay back my student loans when I graduate in a year?

Of course, I could just take any corn detasseling job that comes my way, but I’ve been through that before. Getting up at five in the morning to get corn spiders all over me and burning the skin off the backs of my ears isn’t really worth the $4.50 an hour after taxes.

At least when you work on campus, such as at the Daily, you don’t have to deal with all the people who think college students do nothing but drink and act irresponsible because most of the people who work there are college students.

When you get right down to it, there could be a lot of reasons I can’t find a part-time job. Maybe there is always someone applying right before me with a masters degree in business or something.

Then again, maybe the people I sent my application to just didn’t like my outfit or my hair.

I can’t explain the whole phenomenon with the lack of jobs for college kids, but I will say this: when I achieve my career goals, I’ll remember all those people who dismissed me because I’m just a college kid.

To all those business managers who ignore the applications of college students, think about what you’re doing because in a few years, we could be your bosses.

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Sheila Collins is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Council Bluffs.