Where are you getting that information from? It's not in the article. It doesn't say anything about her economic background, how she was paying for school, what her family circumstances were. Just that she followed the advice that she's dispensing.

Do I think that anyone should have to do that nonsense in order to get a job? Absolutely not. But the ugly truth is that this is how businesses frequently work. If I had wanted to work in fashion design, I would have needed to do the same. My ex-wife was unwilling to move to New York or LA to pursue that career after I got the degree, especially since I would have been "interning" during the day, and then working at night to try and afford living expenses, so... Well, I don't do fashion anymore, and haven't for over 15 years. Of note, one of the few people i graduated with that I know did get a job in fashion (I believe he was doing men's shirts at Bill Blass shortly after graduating) had parents that own a large condo just off Central Park. So he could afford to take shit pay and didn't have to worry about student loans.