A young woman who says she owes about $93,000 in private student loans despite receiving substantial college scholarships is drawing attention after explaining that she is not currently using her degree and now works as a server, prompting commentary YouTuber Anton Daniels to argue that the real problem began long before graduation.
Daniels reacted to a TikTok from Karsyn Stewart, who described taking out private loans to attend a small Christian college where tuition was around $30,000 a year. Stewart said she had roughly half of her tuition covered through running and academic scholarships, yet still ended up owing far more than she expected after interest and borrowing costs accumulated.
Her story was not simply about debt. It was also about how an 18-year-old can make a major financial decision based on what feels important at the time, then spend years dealing with consequences that did not seem real when the paperwork was signed.
She Went To College Because She Wanted To Run
Stewart said that when she was 18, running was one of the biggest parts of her life.
She had been recruited by a college coach and wanted badly to continue competing, so attending the small private school felt like the obvious path.
According to Stewart, her combination of running and academic scholarships covered about half of the yearly cost.
That led her to believe she might graduate owing around $60,000.
Instead, when she later checked her private student loan balance, she said she owed approximately $93,000.
Stewart blamed much of the increase on compound interest and said she barely understood how that worked when she first borrowed the money.
“I was an 18-year-old girl,” she said, explaining that at the time she cared more about making friends and running than about long-term debt.
That admission is probably one of the most important parts of her story. An 18-year-old may legally be an adult, but signing up for tens of thousands of dollars in debt is a very different kind of decision than most teenagers have ever had to make before.
Daniels Says The Warning Signs Were Already There
Anton Daniels was not especially sympathetic to the idea that the lender was mainly to blame.
He argued that young borrowers often take out more than they need and then later act surprised when interest turns the balance into something much larger.
Daniels also questioned whether Stewart’s college choice made financial sense in the first place, especially if the main motivation was being able to run.
He said there should have been much more consideration of whether the degree itself could justify the cost.
“You can’t tell me that it’s worth the amount to run that it took for you to go to this small Christian private college,” Daniels said.
He also criticized the broader idea that people in their late teens or very early 20s are always equipped to make decisions with long-term financial consequences.
Daniels used his own daughter as an example, saying he had been careful about steering her away from credit cards and student debt while she was still young.
His broader argument was that parents should play a much stronger role when their children are making decisions that could follow them for decades.
Her Parents Warned Her — But She Went Anyway
Stewart admitted that her parents did warn her.
She said they told her directly that she was going to owe a lot of money after graduation and asked whether she was sure she wanted to continue.
Her answer at the time was essentially yes.
That detail immediately changed the tone of Daniels’ reaction.
He said Stewart’s parents had at least tried to caution her, but he still believed they should have stepped in more firmly instead of allowing the decision to move forward.
“Little 18-year-old me should have been hit upside the head and told no,” Stewart said jokingly in hindsight.
Daniels took that point seriously, arguing that guidance sometimes has to mean more than simply explaining the risks and then watching a young person make the mistake anyway.
There is a real tension here. At 18, people are expected to make their own choices, but many are also making decisions with financial consequences large enough to shape their housing, career and family options for years.
She Pays About $1,100 A Month
Stewart said her monthly student loan payment is about $1,100.
She compared that figure to a rent payment and explained that it is one reason she still lives at home.
Daniels questioned whether paying only that amount would allow her to reduce the balance quickly enough, especially with interest continuing to accrue.
He argued that she may need to pay much more aggressively if she wants to eliminate the debt within a reasonable number of years.
Stewart, however, said she has already made several payments on her own and still has enough money left to enjoy parts of her life.
She also emphasized that she is not currently working in the field tied to her degree.
“I’m just a server right now, but I make good money,” she said.
That is where Daniels became especially critical.
He argued that spending close to $100,000 on education only to end up working in a job that did not require the degree made the original decision look even worse.
“You was better off backpacking through Europe and then becoming a server anyway,” Daniels said.
Stewart Pushes Back Against People Judging Her Job
Stewart appeared especially frustrated by people who ask why she is not using her degree.
She said criticism of her serving job makes her feel as if the work is somehow beneath her simply because she went to college.
Her response was that she is earning money and making her payments, which matters more to her than whether the job matches her degree.
She also pushed back at people whose parents paid for their education, suggesting they were in an easier position to criticize because they did not have the same loan burden.
Daniels rejected that argument.
He said having parents who pay for college is not something to mock, and in his view, helping children avoid debt is exactly what parents should try to do when they can.
His reaction was harsh, but the underlying point is difficult to dismiss. Someone else having a less expensive path through college does not make the debt disappear, and comparing situations does not solve the financial problem.
Stewart Says She Is Determined To Pay It Off
Despite her frustration, Stewart did not present herself as giving up.
She said she is proud of handling the payments herself and believes the struggle has made her more determined.
Stewart acknowledged that every payment hurts and that spending money can bring anxiety because she knows the loans are always waiting.
Still, she said she believes she will eventually come out stronger.
Daniels pointed out that she is receiving some support even if nobody is directly making the loan payments for her, because she is able to live at home.
That matters because housing is usually one of the largest expenses people face, and being able to avoid or reduce that cost can make aggressive debt repayment much easier.
Stewart ended her video by warning younger viewers against casually choosing an expensive private school, especially if they do not yet know what they want to do with their lives.
She repeatedly stressed how expensive her experience had been.
The Bigger Lesson Is About Decisions Made At 18
Daniels’ main criticism was not really about Stewart working as a server.
It was about the chain of decisions that led there.
She chose an expensive private college because she loved running, accepted private loans despite parental warnings, graduated with a large balance, and is now working outside the field of her degree while making four-figure monthly payments.
Stewart, for her part, seems fully aware that some of those decisions were naive.
The two simply disagree on where most of the blame belongs.
Daniels puts it largely on the borrower and the family, while Stewart is much more critical of the private lending system and the way interest compounded before she fully understood the consequences.
The most useful takeaway is probably somewhere between those positions.
Lenders can make enormous sums of money available to very young people, but borrowers still have to live with the contract long after the excitement of college is gone.
Stewart’s experience shows how easy it is for a dream at 18 to become a monthly bill in adulthood, especially when the degree itself does not lead directly to the job that was supposed to make the debt manageable.
Gary’s love for adventure and preparedness stems from his background as a former Army medic. Having served in remote locations around the world, he knows the importance of being ready for any situation, whether in the wilderness or urban environments. Gary’s practical medical expertise blends with his passion for outdoor survival, making him an expert in both emergency medical care and rugged, off-the-grid living. He writes to equip readers with the skills needed to stay safe and resilient in any scenario.
