A 29-year-old woman Chelsea Haley of Marietta, Georgia, who adopted (收养) a former student and his brother, is now celebrating being completely debt-free. She has paid off a total of $ 48,683.41 — the amount she owed in credit cards and student loans with interest. “It doesn’t feel real yet,” Haley, mom of Jerome, 17, and Jace, 6, told the press.
Haley was teaching in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 2015, on a two-year commitment to Teach for America, which is an organization that finds recent college graduates to work in low-income schools. Her son, Jerome, was in her 4th-grade class at the time.
When Haley saw Jerome having difficulty in progressing academically, she started spending time with him — going to his football games, buying him school supplies and more. Soon, Haley adopted Jerome together with his brother. “Being their mom is the greatest blessing of my life,” Haley said.
Haley went to all the expense of adopting the two boys. She also borrowed money to afford taking care of them, which increased the difficulty for her to pay their student loans. Determined to rid herself of debt, Haley took on part-time jobs. On top of being a teacher, she was teaching an individual student or a small group in her spare time a couple of days a week. On Fridays, she was paid extra to stay late at the school and work as the building manager. Haley also delivered (送) groceries. She sold her home and moved back to live with her parents on Nov. 6. Her goal is to save money for a new house and prepare Jerome for college. Both boys are doing well in school.
“It allows me to focus on the boys’ future,’’ Haley said. “Earning and saving money for them, and not spending money saved in the past.”
Her advice for making a determined effort to free us of debt is never to ignore your spending and stick to a plan.
【小题1】How did Chelsea Haley feel when she had just paid off the debt?| A．Unforgettable. | B．Unbelievable. |
| C．Unpredictable. | D．Unacceptable. |
| A．As soon as Jerome first became her student at school. |
| B．Immediately she came to the school Jerome studied in. |
| C．When she found Jerome had difficulty studying further. |
| D．After she had decided to adopt Jerome and his brother. |
| A．Why Haley returned to live with her parents. |
| B．Why Haley kept herself busy making a living. |
| C．What part-time jobs Haley did to earn money. |
| D．How Haley managed to pay off her debt finally. |
| A．Making a practical plan. | B．Relying on your savings. |
| C．Getting help from parents. | D．Borrowing friends’ money. |
