2 minute read
Fresh Approach to a Common Program 1
Elease Dillard, left, speaks with a student about The Student Navigator during an exhibition on the GGC lawn.
– Elease Dillard, ’15
“This was a powerful moment because it highlighted a void,” she said. “Students lack a go-to resource to fund their education debt-free. They longed for a program that didn’t exist. So I decided to change that.” Dillard founded her company, The Student Navigator, in 2016 and published a book, Funding College Debt-Free: Your Interactive Guide Towards Living a Life of Freedom, Passion, and Purpose, in 2017. Dillard’s plans did not go smoothly. Her grandfather was diagnosed with cancer, and she devoted much of her time to helping with his care. When he passed away, her savings were almost gone – but she didn’t give up on her calling to help students. “My parents raised me in a household where ‘winners never quit and quitters never win.’ They instilled in me the core value that you do everything with 110 percent effort and with excellence,” she said. “I was not going to quit – on myself, my family and the students whose lives will be changed by freedom from the bondage of student loan debt.” Today, Dillard hears from students and parents about how they have successfully reduced or avoided debt due to her counsel. “After speaking to a group of students and parents, I met a father of five who thanked me with tears in his eyes because he had hope that all of his children would be able to go to college and fund it debt-free,” she said. “That is what I find most rewarding and is the reason why I do what I do every day.” Dillard maintains close ties to her alma mater, and has served on the GGC Alumni Board for four years and has held the office of secretary. She is often seen participating in campus events, always offering encouraging words. “I want to encourage students to dream big. If you have a dream inside of you, don’t quit,” Dillard said. “Your struggle will one day be a part of your success story. You have what it takes!”
