Teryca Brooks-Long was desperate. Despite working four different jobs, she had racked up nearly $250,000 in student debt and was only sinking further into the red. Unable to keep her head above water, she called on personal finance YouTuber Caleb Hammer for help.

Hammer hosts a show on the social media platform called Financial Audit, where he sits down one-on-one with people to help them sort out their debt. His channel boasts 433,000 subscribers. He first shared Brooks-Long’s story in June of 2022.

She provided the “scary” details of credit card debt, car loan and other financial penalties. But it was her series of private student loans that really delivered the financial suckerpunch.

Don't miss

• This janitor in Vermont built an $8M fortune without anyone around him knowing. Here are the 2 simple techniques that made Ronald Read rich — and can do the same for you

• Ben Affleck says he and Matt Damon blew through the $110K they made from Good Will Hunting on jeeps, 'party house' — 4 tips to make your money last

• 'Hold onto your money': Jeff Bezos says you might want to rethink buying a 'new automobile, refrigerator, or whatever' — here are 3 better recession-proof buys

Reflecting back on Brooks-Long’s story during a recent interview with Insider, Hammer said it “terrified and continues to terrify me.”

Here’s a look at the story and the advice Hammer shared with Brooks-Long to help her get out of debt.

Student debt — and how to pay it off

Like the majority of American students, Brooks-Long had to borrow money to pay for her degree, which she acquired from Baylor University.

But with no access to federal student loans due to a family issue around a contested inheritance, Brooks-Long had to turn to private funding from Sallie Mae.

She took out three student loans worth about $176,000, but her debt swelled to nearly $250,000 with interest and fees.

Her bill between May and April of 2022 was $1,945 — more than two-thirds of her income of $2,816 working four jobs at the time she spoke with Hammer.