Amna Nawaz:

Tonight, we're starting a special series about The Future of Work.

It's clear robotics, automation and globalization are driving big changes for workers and companies alike.

Our team has been traveling the country to capture just who's benefiting and who's getting hurt.

We begin in Appalachia, a region where good jobs have been in short supply and diversification is the name of the game.

I recently went there to see how one community is dealing with life after coal. It's 7:00 on a quiet Tuesday evening in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky. And Olivia Boyette, a second-year medical student, is studying at her kitchen table.