I’m so glad Deb Nardi sent me this article on Ken Ilgunas, a Duke graduate who is now telling all about how he lived in a van to stay out of debt while finishing his grad studies at the University.
By the way, before that, he had completed his undergrad studies in Buffalo, and ended up with $32,000 of debt because of it.
And he was turned down for 25 paid internships after that with his college degree. So he was working at Home Depot for $8 an hour.
Before he went back to graduate school, he dedicated two and half years to working and paying off the student loan debt he accumulated.
Even after all of this, Ken was NOT willing to give up on his education. In fact, he seemed to be even hungrier for it. But how would he afford it without getting another student loan?
His solution? To create his own “Walden on Wheels,” as he calls it.
Photo Ken Ilgunas
“The van was more than just a way to save money. I wanted it to be an experience, to see how little I could spend. I didn’t want to be borrowing money from my parents any time I had a hardship.”
