Even highly educated struggle finding jobs

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Department of Workforce Development leaders say it will be two weeks before the unemployed begin to get vouchers and back pay.

Some 80,000 Hoosiers will be put back on the rolls. Tiffany Thompson is one of them.

"Life is a stage and it's your choice to be good or bad," Thompson tells her class of kindergarten, first and second graders.

It's a message they hear daily at Lawrence Township's early learning center.

Thompson doesn't just teach that message. She lives it. The Catholic school-educated Thompson has always been a good student -- smart, hard-working, focused.

"I have a master's degree in business management. I have an associate's degree in Anthropology and I have two bachelor's degrees in telecommunications and performance theatre from Ball State."

That master's degree in business led to bank branch management positions. But after years in banking, she answered the call of her nonprofit passions -- leading her to the United Way.

Then the recession hit hard. The United Way made deep cuts, Thompson's job among them

"I was devastated, of course. I didn't know what my next move would be," said Thompson.

But she assumed she'd land on her feet. After all, she had a master's degree, but so did everyone else at her job interviews.

"So there would be over 100 people looking for this one position," said Thompson.

The married mother of two has tenaciously looked for work unemployed for 19 months, applying for everything that comes her way. And like so many unemployed, she took a part time job to pay the bills. But the summer teaching position is only temporary.

"It's been exactly five weeks. It's been a great five weeks, it's been a great opportunity for me. I knew it was just temporary, but I took it because I knew I had to do something," said Thompson.

So she's relieved to hear news of an unemployment benefit extension. It's much needed help that will come just as her temporary job ends. Without it, she says she and her family might have to turn to the United Way for help.

"It's kind of ironic that you're the person helping and now you're the person that may actually need their services," said Thompson.