An Indian woman living in the United States’ San Francisco has drawn attention online after sharing how she repaid a $100,000 student loan within a year. Sakshi, who moved abroad to pursue her master’s degree, detailed her journey in a video that has since resonated with many.
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“I paid off my $100,000 loan in a year, that’s roughly around 80 lakhs when I first borrowed that money for my master’s degree in the US. And I knew one thing: I did not want that burden to sit on my parents,” she said.
She explained that the weight of the loan influenced her decisions from the beginning. “I moved to the US for my masters with a lot of hope, but also a lot of pressure. Taking that loan was not a small thing for me. From the very beginning, I knew that I wanted to pay it off as fast as I could because I didn’t want that stress sitting on my family for years,” she added.
Sakshi said the responsibility stayed with her throughout her studies and early career. “That thought stayed with me throughout everything: my two years of masters, a year after me graduating when I was applying for internships, figuring out life in a new country, trying to build some stability for myself. This student loan was always in the back of my mind.”
Support system and financial discipline
She credited both financial opportunities and emotional support for helping her achieve the milestone. “I was really grateful to intern at Amazon, which helped a lot because it paid really well. I was also a research assistant and that income helped as well,” she said.
However, she stressed that her success was not an individual effort. “I also want to say very clearly that I did not do this alone. My family was a huge source of strength for me. And my boyfriend, who is now my fiancé, was also a huge support system for me throughout that year.”
Highlighting the emotional toll of managing debt, she said, “When you’re carrying that much anxiety around money, what helps is not just income, it’s having people around you who keep reminding you that you’re going to be okay.”
Sakshi added that her lifestyle remained disciplined during this period. “It wasn’t glamorous because I wasn’t investing a lot of money, I was not making any financial moves, I was not living some polished life. I was mostly just trying to stay disciplined, do well, earn well, and get that loan off my shoulders.”
Watch the clip here:
Social media reacts
The video has prompted several reactions online, with many users praising her determination. One user wrote, “Congratulations! Inspiring journey, Sakshi,” while another commented, “Glad you were able to pull it off. Huge congrats! Onwards and upwards from here. Wish you the best!”
HT.com has reached out to the user for her comments, and the copy will be updated once her response is received.
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(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)
