Originally Posted by
rydabent
OTOH it might not be a sob story. Look at the fact that this student is apparently a very hard worker, and is not the lazy entitled type of college student that is so in the news these days.
Generally, legit hard-workers don't ask strangers for charity. It takes a special mentality, or desperation to do that- and if the kid were truly a hard-worker capable of supporting himself while going to school, he would not be desperate.
Men use the "poor student" motiff.
Women use "kids".