Thomas Smith
Los Angeles, Calif.
I started off as a journalist in Hollywood, and for a long time in the 1980s, I was making a pretty good living. But as people stopped reading print little by little, it became impossible to find anybody that was paying.
I can still write of course, but the blogs don't pay. I mean at all.
In order to supplement my journalism income, two friends and I started an entertainment PR company. It was going really well, up until about 3 years ago.
Now, I'm still desperately trying to keep the firm going, but that's also affected by the lack of media outlets. I've gone from getting $3,000 a month from a client, down to as low as $250 a month.
I tried teaching, but now the university is dismantling the journalism department. The adult schools I used to teach for no longer pay either.
I believe that's three strikes for me. Do I really want to start a new career at 54-years-old? Who's going to hire me?
Facing rapidly rising college costs, these six folks took out unsustainable student loans.
