I'm Juanita I've been a teacher for over 15 years, and I took on student loans to earn my bachelors and master's in education. I was working in a public service job that qualified for loan forgiveness and making my payments, until I was laid off.

After that, a health crisis left me unemployed and without stable housing for about five years. By the time I got back on my feet, I couldn't land another qualifying job, or one at similar salary as I had had and all the while the interest kept piling up. I've paid what I could along the way, but the loans recently went into default…. Even though I was sending payments, just not what they asked for.

I'm not just waiting for things to change while begging. Overall I’ve tried lots of different things over the years to make more but nothing really worked yet. I'm trying to build my own business to bring in extra income, but that is just eating money and not generating any yet so it hasn't grown enough yet to catch up on this debt. It also seems to add more taxes to my surprise so now I have that on my back. I’m often not able to really market and it’s expensive to buy a business and or start one. I feel like I should stop and just put what I’ve got to the loans but I’ve so many things and I don’t know what’s best to do really.

I need either help to get better work or some steady or large freelance client opportunities or a miracle support for donations towards this. I’ve taught myself some ai skills and can help build automations, I made toddlerpianobook.com and sometimes I do lessons or music gigs on the side.

None of which even add a dent to this big problem considering all the other priorities. My hope is have it settled by the end of 2027.

I realize some people might wonder why I borrowed but in my youth going to college was the best way forward and I was the first person in my family to graduate university. I did work through college support myself and I was perhaps more optimistic that’d I’d chosen a good route within my capacity. In my view I’d barely be able to rent a flat if I hadn’t gone so I am glad I did.

Any support, monetary or opportunities to bring in more income big or small, would help me get back on track and keep moving forward. Thank you for reading my story. Thanks for your support.

I could reach this goal if I sold around 1750 of the books at the current cost of production.

Juanita