I don't come from a family that had the money to put me through college, so I left school with $100,000 in stu... — Candace Owens

I don't come from a family that had the money to put me through college, so I left school with $100,000 in student loan debt.

Author: Candace Owens

Insight: Most of us carry some form of debt without much choice in the matter—a mortgage, credit cards, maybe those student loans. But there's something different about education debt. It shows up right when you're supposed to be launching, weighing down decisions about where to live, whether to take a risky job you believe in, or when you might start a family. The practical math of paying it back can feel like a second job for years. What's worth sitting with here is how debt shapes opportunity itself. When you start adult life already owing money, you're not starting from the same place as someone whose family could write a check. That's not a personal failing—it's just the math of circumstance. Some people get a head start; others get a head start in debt. The real question isn't whether debt is shameful or not. It's whether we're honest about what it actually costs people beyond the monthly payment: the stress, the delayed decisions, the compounding effect of playing catch-up while others move ahead. Understanding this shifts how we think about "pulling yourself up." Sometimes people aren't just pulling—they're pulling while attached to an anchor.