I have been a part-time pharmacy technician for more than two years now. I enjoy my job and I am fortunate to learn something new every day I work.

One of the first lessons: Not having health insurance is a scary prospect.

I have seen patients pay hundreds of dollars for prescriptions, and I have seen them go from pharmacy to pharmacy checking prices, writing down three- and four-figure numbers.

Most of us are currently covered under our parents' plan, or qualify for health insurance through the university. But what happens when we graduate?

The problem extends so far beyond political ideology or the quoted 47 million uninsured in this country.

Any entrepreneurial student who aspires to be self-employed, any free-spirited student who is looking into a field that does not offer stable employment, and any hardworking student trying to get into a tough job market may face the challenges of becoming uninsured or paying exorbitant monthly fees that are liable to change at any time.

President Barack Obama stated Wednesday night that "reform is about every American who has ever feared that they may lose their coverage if they become too sick, or lose their job, or change their job. It is about every small business that has been forced to lay off employees or cut back on their coverage because it became too expensive." I cannot help but agree wholeheartedly.

It seems that Obama is trying his best to help and protect the ideals of the country, not stomp on them. As students, we have not yet gone out into the world, looking for jobs and hoping they come with decent and affordable health insurance. We haven't yet had to hope we don't develop a pre-existing condition that prevents us from having healthcare we need covered.

These things could so quickly and easily happen to us, especially in an economy just being resuscitated, that the issue is beyond empathy, closer to home than helping the poor and less fortunate.

It is about us -- our futures, our health, our families.

Republican representatives are saying the American people like their current health coverage and quality of care, that they would simply like to see a more affordable and accessible system. However, the current system is so inefficient and expensive, so confusing and inaccessible, that anything less than substantial reform seems that it would be ineffectual.

Opponents point to convoluted government health programs already in place, yet Medicare has already been acknowledged as inefficient and is part of the proposed reformation process. Its streamlining is, in fact, how much of the reformation process will be financed according to Obama's Wednesday night news conference.

It seems like a classic case of fear of the unknown -- the United States is in a unique position, unlike the circumstances of Canada and Europe.

William Faulkner wrote, "a fellow is more afraid of the trouble he might have than he ever is of the trouble he's already got. He'll cling to the trouble he's used to before he'll risk a change." Change is the platform on which we elected President Obama -- change is what we were finally ready to see in November and change is what he is trying to deliver.

Caitlin Sellers is a sophomore majoring in English and is The Daily Collegian's Friday columnist. Her e-mail address is cas5505@psu.edu.