From an ‘Overdraft Queen’, Sonia Lewis is now a student loan doctor

Sonia Lewis, otherwise known as the “Student Loan Doctor” is the founder of the first black and woman-owned student loan debt repayment company in the U.S.

Lewis came into the limelight in 2016 when she started a coaching business to engage her Philadelphia community around all financial matters related to one’s pursuit of higher education.

“I started doing consulting for people in the church, then the church sent the community, and the community sent friends,” Lewis told the Shaderoom.

Through her company, ‘The student loan Doctor LLC, Lewis coaches, teaches and helps many affected by student loan debt before, during and after their education.

Prior to starting the Student Loan Doctor, Lewis herself said she was living paycheck-to-paycheck, and struggled with her own student loan debt.

“My passion started with my own debt. I needed to get myself together and sit my own self down. I felt like other people needed this too… Plus, I realized there were no classes to help people really understand their debt,” she said.

She was unsatisfied with the process of how to get information about her student loans and it was then she decided she had to do something. Hence she worked on her personal finances and eventually started working with clients to help them manage their student loan debt.

Lewis now runs a six-figure business and employs a team of full-time workers. The Student Loan Doctor educates others about their student loan debt and provides feasible action steps in making a plan for repayment.

Her goal is to help borrowers become free of debt to promote social mobility and wealth building. Lewis schedules phone call appointments for those outside the Philadelphia area.

As a result of her pioneering work, Lewis has received numerous awards and her business has also received two citations by the City of Philadelphia for the impact she’s having on lives within the Philadelphia community.

Today, Lewis speaks as an expert across all audiences and has been featured in Essence Magazine, Forbes and many platforms nationwide. She was reportedly invited to share her expertise at the White House Briefing on Advancing Equity for Women and Girls of Color.

Lewis is also a three-time self-published author and runs an informative podcast series.