Do you ever feel as though you understand something theoretically, but you've never tested that knowledge through personal application? That's how I am with finances. When I was younger my grandpa would pay me a small allowance for household chores and yardwork. I was encouraged to save and after I was responsible enough my mom took me to open a bank account. Over the next several years, I'd deposit any money I made and make withdrawals when I had something I really wanted to buy or was about to travel, all with the support of my mom. I didn't begin learning about financial literacy until my freshman year of high school, when I took an online class on Financial Literacy. Over the course of a semester, I learned the basics of managing your finances, but I didn't have a source of income, so I felt it didn't apply to me and there was nothing more I could do to manage my money until I had a constant source of income. Fast forward 3 years to my Senior year of high school. It feels like it has been an eternity since I took that financial literacy course. Luckily for me, I got placed in an Independent Living class second semester, which included a unit on finances. Through this unit, I was able to participate in an interactive financial literacy course on Everfi. As a Senior, it is infinitely more important for me to understand how to manage finances. Now that I am better informed on my financial options and my next steps, I'm going to begin by comparing different credit cards and apply for my best option. I will also be applying for jobs and will save at least 10% of my earnings. Once I have a steady income, I'm going to open a money market account to earn higher interest on my savings and I will open at least one other investment account, like a Certificate of Deposit or a Roth IRA. What I have learned over the course of the past few months and years will help me to achieve a state of financial security sooner than I might have otherwise. I'll be able to graduate college and start paying off my debts in efficient ways. My family has never been poor, but we've hit hard times and have really had to stretch our budget to make ends meet. My hope is that I'll be able to take the skills and knowledge I've learned to act as a starting block to achieving my own goals and making sure that nobody in my family ever has to choose between different needs and wants. I've learned to be a saver and to find discounted items. Being frugal with money might not be satisfactory at first, but I'm planning on bettering my future by saving early so that when I am ready to make a downpayment on a house, I'll be able to afford it. My financial education is the key to bettering my future by making me more aware and informed. Life won't be easy, and I might not always have tons of money, but with the insights I've gleaned I'll be able to make every penny (I guess it's nickel now) count so that I am not simply existing in survival mode.

I aspire to become like Batman. Working during the day to fund my mission at night. Let me explain what I mean. The innermost part of me dreams about making an impact on my community. As a senior, I’ve come to place greater appreciation for understanding the path I want to travel and the steps that are along the way. It’s become apparent that the essential life skills that used to be taught in schools are being neglected which is affecting not only the path I want to be on, but also the paths of my peers. One of my personal goals is to introduce a non-profit community center that allows high scholars from lower-income areas to come and learn skills that are similar to what would have been taught in a home-economics class while also preparing a space that will allow them to focus and explore options on what they want to do after high school. However, unlike Batman, I need funding to run a non-profit and I need a day job to keep the bills paid, which is why I am going to a 4-year university to study psychology. Pursuing a degree in psychology opens up a host of stable careers and will also enable me to connect and network with people from a myriad of backgrounds. While studying psychology, I might take some business or entrepreneur classes to firm up a foundation for my non-profit. After I am securely in a career, I’m going to apply for several grants while saving money to invest in my community center. I have already started the process by joining community-based organizations like the College Success Foundation, to gather ideas to see what works versus what doesn’t on a personal level. I have also gotten experience with non-profit organizations such as the Daffodil Festival. Being a part of the Daffodil Festival not only allows me to get a glimpse of what goes into a non-profit, but it also allows me a chance to network and interact with a huge range of people and careers which will be helpful when I am trying to launch my non-profit. It has built up my confidence in speaking with people that are frequently viewed as intimidating or in positions of power. You might be wondering how this all fits together. I don’t have everything quite figured out yet, but here is my current plan. The first step is attending a 4-year university to major in the cognitive sciences with a possible minor in business. While in college, I will study abroad to broaden my mind and help me to think more globally. All of this should be accomplished in the next 4-5 years. No later then 10 or 15 years after graduating, I hope to open and officially have a non-profit organization dedicated to helping the youth. In the period after I graduate and before I can officially open my non-profit, I hope to volunteer or contribute to other programs that help students beyond high school like the College Success Foundation, Trio, and Upwards Bound. My 'why' for having a successful career is to make it possible to help others when they are at a turning point in their lives. I’m not trying to be the main character like Batman; but my goal is to equip high school students with the skills and opportunities to be the heroes of their own lives, which can slow down and reverse generational disparities and gaps.

After high school I'm going to go to college to become an estate lawyer or psychologist, but my real dream takes place after I've saved a bit of money. I'd love to lease space next to a low income high school and open as a Independent living center. My independent living center will be a nonprofit aiming to help bridge the gap and teach students how to thrive in life after high school no matter what their next steps are. Skills like cooking, financial literacy, and how to keep a home clean and running will be a focus. Another focus will be scholarship and college essay help for both juniors and seniors. The biggest drawback to furthering your education is money. I don't want anyone to not pursue their dreams because they couldn't afford to go to college. Along with college prep, my center will also offer tutoring or homework help if needed. Overall, I want my center to be the support that many students may not have at home or at school. It will empower people from all walks of life to go and live their best life. It will also give students a safe space after school. My school doesn't have very many opportunities to learn how to be an adult and survive outside of high school. It's in a primarily minority, low-income community and a lot of the students would be first gen. I have friends who don't think they can break the cycle, who aren't going to college because they can't afford it or their parents have never talked about it. They would benefit from a program that helps them get ready. I want to open as many doors for everyone that I possibly can. Options, especially in a community that isn't used to them, means everything. At the end of the day, I hope to have successfully changed someone's life for the better. I hope to have a fully functioning non profit that has helped someone get to college on a full ride due to scholarships, I want to have helped someone rent or buy their first home and watched as they hit the ground running. Knowing I made a difference in the world is all the legacy I need. Empowering others is a gift that nothing else can compare to. Womens empowerment is essential. I grew up watching as women give into peer pressure because they don't feel empowered. Most of that loss of empowerment, I've realized, comes from within. Young women don't believe that they can be empowered and they don't have that inner strength. They think they need others to empower them, and when people let them down, they give into peer pressure and societal norms to fit in. I've learned that if you want to feel empowered it has to come from within. At church, I am the Young Woman's Class President, which means that it is my job to ensure the women who attend my church understand their worth and their potential. I make it my mission to encourage these girls and teach them that they don't have to fit in with society in order to be beautiful or worthy of others. I try to show the young women that you can be yourself and to stay true to who you are, not who someone tells you to be. I think of empowerment like being a queen. Becoming a queen is having the mindset that you can do anything you put your mind to but you are also human and considerate. It shows potential but it also adds humility.