Stephanie Elam

Burdened under a mountain of student debt? CNN has the answer - dedicate ten or so of your prime years to social work. Better yet, join the AmeriCorps.

Doing her best to channel Obama's inspiring Notre Dame address about shunning immoral endeavors in the private sector for virtuous and selfless community endeavors, Stephanie Elam sounded more like a Public Works Czar than a CNN correspondent on April 6.

"This is really about helping those people out, getting them ready as far as the choice for best course of study for the financial future," Elam said on CNN "Newsroom." "So you may consider the possibility of enlisting in public service. Demand is really high right now for government jobs ... and any remaining debt on federal student loans will be forgiven after you work full-time in public service for ten years."

Corporations often take a beating from the news media, but on Jan. 14 CNN found a reason to praise the actions of several U.S. companies.

"Corporate America contributing millions of dollars to the relief effort in Haiti as well as providing some badly needed goods and services," Heidi Collins said teasing Stephanie Elam's "Newsroom" report.

Elam replied, "It's encouraging to see people reacting so quickly and it's a long and growing list of U.S. companies pledging donations to the relief effort. And these are just some of them, but let's go ahead and start with the companies that have all pledged at least $1 million."

That list included: Bank of America, UPS, Abbott Laboratories, Lowe's and Coca-Cola. Elam explained that several other companies including Wal-Mart, the Yankees, and Western Union were giving between $250,000 and $600,000 each.