Greg Martin of Clarkston helps people around the world with his non-profit group Disaster Relief at Work.
He also help kids close to home, with advice on how to avoid problems with student loans.
Taking out loans to attend a big university all four years can leave students $100,000, or much more, in debt. Martin warned students to be cautious.
‘It’s the biggest sham in the United States,” he told students during a visit to Amy Quale’s classroom at Clarkston High School. ‘Don’t be another victim of the rip-off college scam.?
Graduates could end up with degree in hand, but no job and enormous loan debt, he said.
‘So just to get by and swing those huge loan payments, you take a job as a waiter. Before you know it 10 years has gone by and you have no experience in your career field. You find yourself asking, what happened? How did I get here??
What you want in life changes over time.
‘You may have a career you think you are passionate about now, but that passion may fade and you may want to move on.?
Marin said he knows many people in their 30s? who are still unsure what they want to do.
He himself is an example of how dreams change.
After college, Martin got a job he was passionate about. After seeing numerous stories about deadly tornadoes that ripped through Alabama, killing hundreds of people, and destroying communities, everything changed.
‘I could not quit thinking about it and I had a burning desire to help, ? he said.
Martin sprang into action, recruiting friends to join him on a trip to Alabama to help people in peril.
He and 12 friends, loaded up supplies, and headed south.
‘We got there and everything was wrecked. Every house, every tree, everything, was gone. People lost everything all at once,? he said.
Disaster was everywhere, but so were resilient spirits.
‘They were not victims, they were survivors,? he said.
That trip was the best experience in his life.
‘It was the biggest difference I had ever made. It was the best thing I had ever done,? Martin said.
He found his passion and kept traveling to help disaster survivors.
He quit his job and founded DRAW, a non-profit organization that provides five gallon buckets filled with essentials to people in disaster areas.
‘Be conscientious of your dreams,? he insists. ‘Explore different things, to discover what interests you and makes you happy.”
Knowing exactly what you in life takes time. Your dreams may not be clear until long after you graduate high school and head to college.
‘Decisions you make now will affect you for life. Don’t rob yourself and get stuck spending a ton of money on college. It will only weigh you down,? he said.
Every degree requires basic classes. Take those basic classes at a community college rather than an expensive university.
Credits earned at a community colleges can be transferred to your dream college to finish earning your degree.
In the end, students transfer credits earned from a community college to a big university, get the same diploma as student who attends expensive school their entire college career, he said.
‘The only difference between those students is debt. The student attending community saved tens of thousands of dollars,? Martin said.
Martin found his passion helping disaster victims with DRAW.
Disaster Relief at Work or DRAW, is a non-profit organization, visits disaster zones to supply victims with basic supplies or help with whatever work needs to be done.
DRAW has responded to disasters such as Superstorm Sandy, the Oklahoma City tornadoes, and the fertilizer plant explosion in Texas.
For more information about DRAW visit drawbuckets.org.