When times were better, Susan and David Bersie considered sending their only son to an East Coast college where he could enjoy a traditional four-year education and broaden his life experiencesâ??an opportunity that his mom says she missed out on.
But as Jake Bersie, 18, nears the end of senior year at Carmel Catholic High School in Mundelein, the family faces an entirely different scenario. David was laid off from his marketing sales job in November. Susan is struggling to keep her small medical supplies business afloat.