SoFi Blog

Last year, we had the opportunity to help our members in their quest to tackle debt head on. The #WhyISoFi contest brought in an overwhelming response from our community. As stories of both success and setback poured in, one thing became clear: SoFi members aren’t just accomplishing goals to get ahead, they’re doing good and making a name for themselves in the process.

At SoFi, we’re lucky to have an extraordinary group of members who have navigated this whole ‘career thing’ with aplomb. From getting promoted or laid off to changing industries, members have faced whopping challenges—and they have the insights and battle scars to prove it. So we asked a few to share their best career tips based on their personal experiences.

Here’s what they said:

Welcome to our new 3 People series, where we meet three professionals from diverse backgrounds, cities and careers, who open up about their finances, careers and overcoming student loan debt. Each person’s financial picture, student loans, and repayment strategy differs; however, each refinanced their student loans through SoFi to take control of student debt and pay off their loans faster.

The years following undergrad or grad school are filled with opportunities for you to own your career. Unfortunately for many, along with honing skills and making great connections comes a not-so-fun task: paying down student loan debt. On the plus side, since student loans represent investments in your future, they’re considered “good debt.” Yet, recent statistics put nearly 40 million Americans (including approximately 70% of bachelor degree recipients) in debt with student loans totaling about $1.2 trillion.

Conferences are typically filled to the brim with free stuff: fliers and posters and brochures that may or may not make it past the recycling bin on the way out. So earlier this month when we sponsored the Near Future Summit (a conference dedicated to world positive solutions), we thought, why not try something more meaningful?

We featured three SoFi members who are on a mission to change the world. Our intent: to donate $20,000 that would help them pay off their loans. In order to choose the winner, we had conference attendees vote for their favorite stories. Now, the results are in.

In celebration of International Earth Day, we spoke with SoFi member Patricia Griffin about how saving on her student loan debt allowed her to take the leap in starting her own sustainable business in Nairobi, Kenya. Read on to hear what she had to say about the importance of bringing nutrition, employment, and lasting improvements to poor communities throughout East Africa.