You can't get a degree in Dreams. There's no such thing!

I don't know anything about what I presume would be US workers' rights, but wouldn't your ex-boss not paying you void any and all contractual obligation you have toward them?

no you actually don't have to finish a project for your ex boss. simply contact the client and tell them "I no longer work for that company". offer to finish it as a freelance contractor, for XXX price. if they agree, finish it, if not walk away

This is an update. I quit. He would tell me he had ideas for huge projects and I would email him and they never came to fruition. I did over $5,500 worth of work for my boss who owns the company. I would offer my services of trying to do social media for his events, but he rarely told me about what he wanted as well as when the events were, and then anything I did post he would edit it and something would get messed up and the date and time would be left out, then he would blame me when people didn’t show up to his events. He said to me when I brought up paying me the $5,500 he still owes, he stated “I never really thought I would actually have to pay you, so I never took anything you said seriously because you are a woman, and we all know women suck and all you’re after is sex from shitty jackasses and money. I also never took growing the business seriously because you were running it into the ground. You did a shitty job of using social media. You should have shown me you were serious for working for me by getting me business that would grow my business by over $100,000 and then I will consider paying you the $5,500 I owe you.” He continued to further berate me by also stating to me, “You are also stupid for going back to school for a PhD or Doctorate in Information Technology majoring in Cyber Security because you’re stupid and will ultimately fail in anything you do like you failed my business. Now quit school and get back to work because I own you until you make my business successful.” I told him he may want to look up the word employee and the word volunteer and since I am not getting paid like an employee, I refuse to volunteer any more of my time. I am not suing him because he managed to run his business into the ground drinking. He can try to sue me but then I can counter sue and will add on to the $5,500 emotional distress.