Hi, I am Phil and that is my dog Tuney. I paid off $30,000 in student loans in 12 months making $48k. After, I saved up and bought my condo with cash at 25. Join the community of over 2000 monthly readers on our journey from Millennial Statistics to Game Changers.

As nearly as every college student knows, life after graduating from school can be a daunting idea. You must find a job, a place to live and even start paying off your student loans. One graduate who cracked the code in eliminating student loans from the game plan is Phil Risher.

Phil graduated from Geneva College in 2012 with a Bachelor’s degree in Business. He had attended Geneva’s Personal Finance Series, which annually provides valuable information to many students. This is a session presented by Student Financial Services and Career Development to help graduating seniors take stock of their debt and prepare for a stable financial future. Topics in the Personal Finance Series include budgeting, student loan and debt repayment, saving for the future, and managing large financial purchases.

Faced with $30,000 in student loans, Phil took the knowledge from this series and other sources to change the game. By assessing his priorities, making sacrifices, limiting needless spending, and finding ways to live simply, Phil was able to pay off all $30,000 loan debt in a single year. Repaying this amount of debt usually takes about 10 years for the average college graduate, so this was no small feat.

Phil didn’t just stop there. He continued to save money and after crushing his student loans, he bought his current home with cash.

He’s now using his knowledge of financial planning and strategy to help other college students and graduates. Phil created a blog, Young Adult Survival Guide (www.youngadultsurvivalguide.com). On the free blog, Phil discusses many of the financial trials that students and recent graduates face. There you can find his 5-Step Guide that provides a step-by-step process to help young adults get out of debt, learn to budget, and take control of their financial lives, just like he did.

Phil provides insight and advice, learned from his own ventures, to help young adults in need of financial advice. Phil says, “One common theme throughout my blog is that I refuse to be another statistic and want to be a young adult game changer.” Through his personal success and helping others to work towards similar success, Phil surely is a great example of a game changer.

The opportunities to further your financial awareness and habits are numerous on Phil’s blog, and he is spreading the word and hope about what’s possible. He has recently been interviewed by Goldman Sachs, Citibank, NBC News and Money Magazine.

If you are looking to become a bit smarter with your money, Phil’s blog is a great tool for anyone, not just young adults. Phil says the reason for his desire to help is simple, “I realized that I find the most satisfaction in life when I am helping people, which is the reason I started this blog. I want to provide a guideline of what I did so that every other young adult can replicate my success.”

Phil is helping many students and young graduates reach their life and financial goals each day. As a Geneva alumnus, Phil finds a higher purpose in his life and is a shining example of the graduates that Geneva College strives to produce.