Acknowledgements
Norma Reyes Guzman
This project’s core is family. I would not be here without those who came before me. Most especially my mom, Norma Reyes Guzman. She is the reason I exist and is who drives me to ensure I leave an impact in this world.
Pallavi Gogoi
The catalyst for this project all came from a 2015 CNNMoney story, “A Millennial, a mom and a mortgage: Ties that bind,” I wrote as part of a series called “Millennials & Their Money.” Pallavi Gogoi, who was the editor of the personal finance section in 2015 (now the Chief Business Editor at NPR) put a call out for stories beyond the usual storyline around how millennials deal with money. I was unsure whether my story was worth telling but she encouraged me to tell it. The feedback I received from the story showed me there was more to tell around debt and how it impacts someone’s life.
Mark Mooney
Mark Mooney (RIP) was my editor for the CNN story that became the basis for this series, “A Millennial, a mom and a mortgage: Ties that bind.” I had the honor to work with him at two places - ABCNews.com and CNNMoney (now CNNBusiness). Mark was a tough editor but he made you a better reporter and writer. I miss his wit and eye for a great story. We lost him to prostate cancer at age 66 in 2017. Always prepared, he left us with his last byline in this Medium post.
The Thread at Yale
The summer of 2018 was a transformative period following a major life event in the winter. As I was reflecting on my next move, I attended many conferences that were always interesting to me but never had the time to go until now. One of those conferences was “The Thread” at Yale. This 3 day workshop is where the term “Blood Debts” was born. Thank you to my workshop group especially: Workshop leader Jake Halpern, Peter Rajchert, Meg Icasco and Jovelle Tamayo.
NY Media Center Podcast Program (Podkins)
We met the winter of 2019 as part of the New York Media Center’s Podcast Certificate Program. Our program ended in March 2019 but we’ve continued to keep meeting weekly to hold ourselves accountable to our projects and pursuits. I would not have gotten this far without this supportive community. Big shoutout to the entire Winter 2019 cohort - most especially Maria Patricia Slee, Vlad Shenderovich, TK Dutes, Kapish Singla, Michael Rain, Michael McDowell and honorary podkin Pritha RaySircar for your feedback and support.
Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO)
Blood Debts is my legacy project as a delegate with the Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO). It is what inspired me to make the entire first season (and more) all Filipino stories. The 2019 cohort (Batch 8) continue to amaze me everyday. We experienced something truly magical when we all traveled to the Philippines in November 2019. Since then, our lives have been forever changed and there's no turning back. More than ever, I'm thankful for this family who are my inspiration to dream even bigger knowing they have my back and I have theirs.
Tiffany Baker
Blood Debts logo is thanks to the talents of designer Tiffany Baker. I had the honor of working with her at CNN. Her thoughtful approach to an abstract concept has helped visually present this series in a thought provoking way.
Blood Debts Interviewees
In the next several weeks you’ll see only a snippet of people I’ve interviewed for this series. I can’t wait for all their stories to be released to the world. Thank you to everyone who for took the time to share insights and stories around debt.