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Find KUER's reporting on the races, candidates and more for Utah’s 2018 midterm elections. Click here for our graphics of the U.S. Senate race, 4 Congressional races and Utah ballot initiatives.

This Is 30: Robyn Gast, Hurricane

Renee Bright / KUER

Utah is the youngest state in the country with a median age of 30 years old. So what does the future look like through the eyes of Beehive State millennials? In a series we’re launching this week called “This is 30,” KUER asked voters around the state how they’re feeling ahead of a critical election.

Name: Robyn Gast

Age: 31

Lives in: Hurricane

Occupation: Waitress

Party Affiliation: Unaffiliated/not registered to vote

Do you plan to register and vote in this year’s election?

I was thinking about it, but I’m not sure if I’m going to have time or not. I’m a single mom, so it’s kind of busy for me.

Whether you vote or not, are there things you’re thinking about as the election approaches?

The main thing on my mind, really, is I hope they do something about our educational system. I have two kids and they’re both in elementary school. Through the last four years, I’ve seen that the education system is really not that great in this area, so hopefully somebody can do something about that. But I don’t even know if that’s in the air at the moment.

My oldest son is 8. He’s in third grade and he’s autistic. That’s an issue because there are no special schools or programs or anything like that. Most of the teachers that he has — they don’t even know how to handle kids with autism, so it’s like, how do you expect my son to learn?

Anything else?

Health care is atrocious—I mean it’s absolutely terrible. I’m a single mom. I don’t get child support. I have two kids, and somehow I’m not allowed to be on government insurance. So I have to go without or I have to pay $200 just to go to the doctor.

In this country, it just seems like nobody cares about our health anymore, and they especially don’t care about mental health.

How would you rate your approval of President Trump?

I don’t approve of him. I’m sorry, but he’s just not a great guy. Just the things he says on social media and things that I see. I feel like he’s more in it because he thinks it’s a popularity contest. He’s just saying all these stupid things and it’s just like, ‘Can you just focus on our country actually, and take care of it?’

He’s more concerned with making money and making rich people money. I work a full-time job, I take care of my kids full-time and what am I getting? I’m getting nothing.

Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the country’s future?

Probably on the pessimistic side. It seems like we’re having some big issues in our country.

What about your own future?

Oh, I’m always optimistic about my future because I’m the one creating it.

Nicole Nixon holds a Communication degree from the University of Utah. She has worked on and off in the KUER Newsroom since 2013, when she first joined KUER as an intern. Nicole is a Utah native. Besides public radio, she is also passionate about beautiful landscapes and breakfast burritos.
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