Way too much going on. I was in a folkloric dance troupe, working at Rite Aide, and manning a health hotline. I thought lots of extra curriculars would get me into a good law school. But my grades started to suffer. I was put on academic probation, and my financial aid was suspended. I wasn't able to ask for help. I wanted to fix my problems, secretly, without disappointing anybody.
So I robbed a bank.
I still ask myself how I got the idea. I was desperate. I thought, no one will know. I'll never speak of it. It will be just one time and I'll just move forward.
I walked in and gave the teller a note. Some of what you see in the movies is true. Tellers are supposed to acquiesce to whatever you ask. I got a few thousand dollars, and it all went to pay for school.
I thought "Let me just try this one more time, so I can pay off a little more debt." It didn't work. A judge sentenced me to 30 months in prison. I put on a brave face but I was frightened.