‘16 grad pays it forward debt free

Lakeside Link: Paying it forward (debt-free)

David Wilson (‘16) and his “debt-free degree” story was featured in the Ramsey Solutions documentary, Borrowed Future: How Student Loans are Killing the American Dream. “Years ago, I happened to comment on a Ramsey Livestream. The moderator noticed (with 1,000 other people watching) and for my story. That email turned into a call with the director,” David says, then interviews in Nashville and Milwaukee. He adds, “I can’t explain to you what it is like having a film crew follow you for your graduation!” Months later, he flew out for the premiere with all 1,100 Ramsey employees, and sat next to Dave, his wife, Sharon, and COO Luke LeFevre.

Since then, each semester, he has visited LLHS teacher Matt Doering’s required senior Financial Literacy classes, where he first learned—and is now sharing the message of—how deeply student loans can impact futures, and that it is possible to graduate from college debt-free. “Even if I hadn’t been in the movie, I would still be here to share my story. Because of the financial lessons I was taught at Lakeside, I now have freedom in adulthood to live, work, and be where I want, change the financial trajectory of my family tree, and give back in ways I never could have imagined at this age. I want other students to have that same freedom when they walk into adulthood,” he says.

Here are the five tips he shares with Warrior seniors. 1. Decide if college is the right choice. Before investing money and time into a college, determine a career path. “Then we can define the road map to get there. If that requires college, great, if it doesn’t, great!”

2. Choose your dream school! Pick a school you can afford. List potential schools, research and compare costs, pick a school that has what you need and can afford. Cashflow the first year and determine how you can cashflow the next 3 years.

3. Become a financial aid expert. Fill out the FAFSA early and own the process of working with your parents to fill it out every year.

4. Find outside scholarships. Fill out as many as possible. Reuse essays as you are able and don’t let perfectionism hold you from pressing the submit button. Keep applying every year!

5. Stay debt-free in school. This includes working, attending community college, living at home, and living like a college student, not trying to match your parents’ lifestyle.

“These steps, paired with clear goals and time management, resulted in my not only graduating debt-free but also leaving school with a fullyfunded emergency fund and a maxed-out ROTH IRA for 2019/2020,” he says. Wilson, who now works as a Program Manager at Lockton in Kansas City, Mo., is thankful for his Lakeside education, which provided him with a seamless transition to college. “The academics allowed me to jump into college coursework without feeling behind as some do, and the extracurriculars made it easy for me to get super involved in campus life early on. Lastly, the financial knowledge I was taught alleviated a lot of stress after college.” For more tips, follow him at David J Wilson on Facebook