My life started with just my mom. I grew up with a single mother who was trying to attend college and provide for me. My mom had this dream about being a flight nurse and traveling from one hospital to another. Due to health issues that I had when I was younger, she never got to make that dream come true. She had to drop out of college to put all her focus on me and my needs. My mom is a huge role model for me, and she has taught me a lot about financial literacy. One of the main things I was taught is to utilize all the resources you have to help secure your financial future later in life. My mom has always preached that you need to take all the help you can get and be responsible for your own future. I took this and have already applied it to my life now. I have taken college classes online since my sophomore year. I go through a program called post-secondary education option, or PSEO. Any college class I take online is free and will be transferred to whatever college I decide to go to. I found this an important resource to use because now I have completed a year or two college credits I needed for my degree that I never had to pay for. The other thing I have been taught through example and word of mouth is limiting the amount of money you take out in loans. My mom, until just in the last couple of years, had still been paying off her loans from the year and a half that she attended college. Interest adds up quickly depending on the loans you get, and you do end up having to pay more than you would have out of pocket. This is why I have been applying for a multitude of scholarships and grants. This is money that I wouldn't need to pay back, and I earn from the hard work I have done through my high school years. This brings me to my plan on how I'm using my financial education to better my future. I will continue to apply for scholarships and grants while I'm in school. There are also jobs out there that help pay for your college if you work for them. I plan on getting a job like that to continue using my resources and take the help that is given to me. My mom is my role model and has taught me a lot. I hope her lessons will help better my future.