WHEN American Cheryl Johnson decided to call attention to the nationwide student loan debt crisis and her own battle with her student loan servicer, she decided to do it at a snail’s pace.

    Outfitted in a head-to-toe mushroom costume and carrying a pink stuffed snail, Johnson attempted Sunday to traverse the roads from her hometown of Bridgeton, Maine, to the second-largest city in the state, Portland, in an effort to draw attention to the nationwide crisis that is hitting home. While she couldn’t finish the 40-mile (64 km) trek, she’s glad some are listening to her problems — the same ones that are impacting millions across the United States.

    Johnson, 60, graduated from the Maine College of Art some 15 years ago with about US$38,000 in student loan debt, she planned to work two jobs to pay it down. That is, until a breast cancer diagnosis derailed her life and her get-out-of-debt strategy. With deferments and delays, the balance has since ballooned to more than US$110,000 with more than US$1,000 monthly payments, she said.

    Johnson said her loan company is threatening to place a lien on her home. She said she’s tried to renegotiate her loan to no avail.

    Dressing as her lovable mushroom character is the one way she knows how to protest the loan system, draw attention to her work and get some money at the same time. (SD-Agencies)