Graduate Exclusive! Judy O. Goes From Hostel to Her Own Apartment, From Bus to Her Own Car
We caught up with Judy to hear how life for her has changed since graduating from Beyond Finance in February of 2023.
- Debt Amount: $32,302
- Started: December 2021
- Graduated: November 2023
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I’m from Nigeria, but I was born and raised in Ethiopia. I came to the U.S. in 2015 to join my mom. My parents and two younger brothers are here, and my older brother just recently joined us too. I work as an aviation mechanic and live in Revere, Massachusetts.
How did you find yourself in debt?
I’d been working for a cruise line, and the pandemic hit that industry hard – a lot of people were laid off. And I was like, you know what? I’m going to give school a shot until I can figure out my next move. But I didn’t have any money saved, so I took out loans.
Everything Beyond Finance said played out exactly the way they said it would … I was grateful.
By the time I graduated, I still didn’t have a job. I was overwhelmed. I can’t even describe it. I almost thought of filing for bankruptcy — that’s how desperate I was. I started doing research on the pros and cons of filing for bankruptcy and I realized that it would hurt me in the long run, but that’s how desperate I was.
What was your experience like with Beyond Finance?
I started researching consolidation plans — which ones are the best options, and reading reviews for the different companies. Beyond Finance’s communication was top-notch. They were very transparent with me. The customer service agents were very polite, very informative, and very aware. That’s why I decided to go with them— I felt assured.
When I paid off my first account I was excited. Now, I felt more motivated, like, “Okay, I can do this.” My stress levels weren’t as high.
Everything Beyond Finance said played out exactly the way they said it would. I didn’t feel blindsided. I didn’t feel betrayed. I was grateful.
How have things been since graduating?
I went from staying in a girls’ hostel, to my own apartment. From using the bus, running after the bus, missing trains, to driving my own car.
All of a sudden all these credit card companies have been reaching out to me. Before they were always turning me down. Even finding an apartment — they’d be like, “We can’t really go off of your credit.” But just seeing my credit go back up and being able to take out more loans, and showing them that I have proof of consistent payments. It helped me in the long run.
I’ve also been able to take a few trips. I went to Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and Senegal. And I’ve traveled around the States a lot too. So a lot has changed since then — drastically.
I know it’s cliché, but it literally feels like a weight lifted off my shoulder. I wake up in the morning and I’m not panicking, checking my calendar like, “What’s due today? Oh my God, did I miss this payment?”
It might seem tiny, but to me it’s a big deal to not have to worry about that anymore.
Real client compensated for a real story.