Renee has 15 years experience serving diverse groups of clients as a license mental health therapist. She mentioned that the minimum payment she has to make is $1,500+ a month and worries about if that would even make a dent on the principal balance overtime. She talked about the failure of the public student loan forgiveness program and how many of her friends who worked in a low-paying position for 10 years got denied. Listen to the episode to hear her message to the younger generation.

Cristian is a father of (almost) 2. He attended a private institution for being an academic where he received many job opportunities. Although he says he's a trade type of person but admits that it does take a toll in your body. He talked about the importance of parents teaching their children about money and emphasize that people are now learning that college may not be the only option for becoming successful.

Joe is an author of multiple books, including a dark comedy, UIC (University Industrial Complex). He talked about being misled from department chairs from career opportunities with his degree. He discussed about the struggle of being an adjunct instructor at a community college with a massive student loan debt. You can check out his books, art portfolio, and other info at joeovelman.com If you need to talk someone, call National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 800-273-8255 or @800273TALK. 

Daphne is a a co-founder of StartNoo, an online platform dedicated to reduce the student loan debt crisis in America. She partners with colleges and universities and provide work-based learning for students where they receive tuition assistance.  She talked about the source of the student loan crisis: the rising cost of education. She also emphasizes the accountability (or lack of) of educational institutions in terms of students getting a job in their field of study. Check our her business at StartNoo.com

Joshua Cohen is an attorney that specializes and dedicated to student loan issues since 2008. He is incredibly passionate about helping those navigate legal issues having to do with student loans such as defaulting, discharging through bankruptcy, and other problems that arise from the complexity of this issue. Furthermore, he aims to educate fellow lawyers in how to help those with student loans issues. He authored a book titled “The Student Loan Lawyer's Guide to Understanding Student Loans in Plain English". If you’ like a consultation or have any questions, definitely reach out to him at thestudentloanlawyer.com

Elaine is an educator who resides in Seattle Washington. She talks about the uncertainty of substitute teaching while trying to pay off her student loans. She shares her experience going through bankruptcy at age 30, defaulting on her student loans, and getting misinformation from a lawyer regarding student loans. She shares practical advise including not being afraid to take a gap year of exploration. 

Tony is a mechanic in a school district (which means great benefits and a pension!). He talks about his journey becoming a mechanic debt free through the community college route. He discusses the growing demand and salary for careers in the trades industry due to the over pushing the education pendulum towards a university education. Listen to his message to educators and our younger generation.

Marcus is a veteran, attorney, father, husband, and a son – and he also hates debt! He had a medical emergency that changed his outlook on debt, particularly student loan debt. He discusses the importance of parents being open to their children about money and finances and gives practical advice to do so. His Youtube channel and other social media “DebtFree Dad” focuses on financial literacy and he shares his journey on his goals to attack his loans. https://www.youtube.com/c/DebtFreeDad

Stephanie originally accumulated ~$105,000 for an undergraduate degree. She then continued her education with her masters and PhD that her worked paid through tuition assistance. However, the interest continued to grow on the original undergrad degree to between $186,000 to $220,000. Stephanie is unsure about what the actual current student loan talks about the struggle of keeping track of the different loan providers. Stephanie shares her advice to our young folks to take advantage of the technology we have nowadays to that allows endless opportunities to generate income. 

In this episode, Christopher Sanchez talks about his own journey accruing student loans and how his life experience made him passionate about advocating for college affordability, immigration rights, and consumer protection. Some of the legislations he is involved with include SB 62: Garment Worker Protection Act and AB 539: Fair Access to Credit Act.