Dear President,

As a soon to be college freshman who is eagerly preparing for my future career, I have been doing research about possible career options for me and their potential income. I was shocked to find that men and women don't get paid the same for doing the same job. In 2015 full-time female workers made only 80 cents for each dollar a man made. That is equivalent to 20 percent less than what men make. This really surprised me because women make up over half of the workforce and are equal in their contributions to support their family. In some cases they are the sole breadwinners for their family. Although many gains have been made to close the gap, it is still not enough. One of the careers I am thinking about pursuing is being either an elementary or a special education teacher. While researching information about this job, I was surprised to learn that women earn 82.2 percent less than their male counterparts. This was most surprising because as a student I really don't see any difference in having a male or female teacher that would justify this difference. As long as they have the same education and experience, they should make the same. I hope over the next 4 years, while I prepare for my future career, things will change even more and we close the gap. I know that we won't close the gap completely in the next 4 years, but making small gains will make a difference for future women joining the workforce. I believe it is only common sense to pay people the same for doing the same job, whether they a male or female.

Sincerely,

Peyton B.