Brandon Sweeney was determined to chart his own course.
At 22, he had put some hard years behind him, secured a good job and a place of his own. As soon as he paid down his debt, he thought, he could take college classes.
Then suddenly in August, that prospect seemed closer than ever.
He qualified for a loan, an email told him. It could help wipe out his debt, get ahead on bills, and afford college – all with easy payments.
Several weeks later, he was sitting in his car, shaking – thousands deeper in the hole, with no way to make his rent.
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Brandon grew up in Buffalo, in a blue-collar region devoted to Bills football and Sabres hockey.
After graduation, he grappled for years with depression and anxiety from a difficult childhood and struggled to get his bearings. He lived with relatives while trying to find his way, setting fitness goals to maintain good physical and mental health.
Two years ago he set out for Florida to stay in Sarasota with a sister who is a mother figure to him.
He got a job at a bagel shop, making $10 an hour, walking 45 minutes one way, sometimes in the rain or 95-degree heat.
Between work, he spent time with his sister and doted on his baby niece, changing her diapers and taking her to Ringling Park or Lido Beach once he bought a car. They baked cookies together. He…
