Hope and Opportunity

Bill Long · May 18, 2022

I was downtown the other day and saw some kids from the university walking in their caps and gowns heading to grab a meal. May is truly graduation season. The scene brought back memories of my own college graduation many years ago. I remember the way I felt knowing that I was starting a new phase in my life. I was excited to be finished with school but a little scared about entering the job market with no experience.  My father told me I had a month to find a job and a place to live ... I guess he was ready for me to move out and find my own way!

The challenge was that I didn't have a car to get to interviews or back and forth to work once I found a job. I had never had a car growing up and instead caught rides with my brothers or parents. I used all the money I earned to pay for school. As a graduate, now I had to figure out how to get places on my own.

My first job was in a town called Greenbelt, Maryland, just outside of College Park where the University of Maryland is located. That was about 30 miles from my parent's house. I did some research and found a car that I thought would be right for me. It was a base model grey Nissan Sentra automatic and brand new. I thought it was exactly what I needed. I wanted something reliable that would get good gas mileage because I was going to have to pay for the fuel too—and the insurance.

It's funny how things come around full circle in life. Working at On the Road Lending, helping people get reliable and affordable vehicles has become my daily mission. Just as my first car gave me hope and opportunity, On the Road Lending’s life-changing auto lending process is creating prosperity one car loan at a time!