I was drowning in student-loan debt as a single mother. But this year, I turned 53 and my $200,000 loans were forgiven.

• After I became a mom of five kids, I couldn't afford my student-loan repayments. 
• This year, my $200,000 student debt was forgiven. 
• I'm now able to think about my future and buy a house for my family.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Linda Whitman. It has been edited for length and clarity.

It was 1987 when I started my college journey at Adams State College — now Adams State University — in Alamosa, Colorado. I was 17 and dreamed of becoming a high-school counselor.