Being the new kid in school was a challenge. When I was in 9th grade, I was already living in an environment where I knew everyone, had multiple friends, understood how things ran, lived in a great neighborhood with a big house and was living the perfect life. As one of nine siblings, I was raised to be independent and take care of myself from an early age, since my parents paid more attention to my younger siblings. My two older brothers, both senior and junior, attended the same school as me, so we took care of one another. My brothers were older and had many friends, so I started high school easily. I was always called "so and so's younger sister". However, in the middle of my freshmen year, my family received a letter about my father's deportation, and we were all devastated. Our house ended up going on the market, and all of this happened to pay for a lawyer, so we moved into a trailer in another part of town with not-so-great neighborhoods. As a result, we had to move schools. That same week, my older brothers and I attended a different school. Unlike my brothers, I did not take it well. Unlike my brothers, I was very introverted and had no idea who I, as a person was. I remember the feeling of insecurity and uncertainty. In a few weeks, my brothers had already adapted, while I was always alone. Due to different grades and lunches, I never got to be with them, resulting in me being alone. Because my parents were focused on getting my father's citizenship and my brothers were focusing on college applications, I didn't want to burden my family with how I felt. I was alone. However, as time went by, I joined a college-prep program, Upward Bound. In addition to being able to speak with higher professionals, I matured academically and professionally, met like-minded students, and learned to communicate with others. As a result, I became interested in business as a career. Now I am a senior at the same school. My friends have expanded, I am confident about myself and the future, and I am going to attend a university to get my Master of Business Administration (MBA). The lessons I have learned during these years, especially in my freshman year, have shaped me into who I am today, and I am grateful for the opportunity to experience what I have experienced.

As a Junior student in High School, managing my finances now creates a better financial understanding along with making wise decisions when it comes to financial matters. It aids in budgeting and keeping purchases and actions in check. Managing your finances now will eventually be a part of your lifestyle, which makes your life more easier and effective. It also boosts the matter of savings. Having a saving plan creates opportunities and financial freedom. You may efficiently manage your finances and choose where to spend your money by making a spending plan in advance. Taking care of finances now as a student builds preparation when attending and graduating after college. Planning. Planning is also a very important aspect when it comes to managing finances, especially as a student. It enhances time management, organizational skills, and reflective practice while assisting students in setting and achieving their financial goals. Budgeting is a great first step when taking control of your finances. Budgeting can teach you to learn about real-life financial situations and how you can control those situations. Organize spending by separating essential expenses for needs and non-essential expenses for wants. How I manage my finances as a student in High School is separating my wants and my needs, along with creating a well-balanced spending plan. Since money can be a tool either to grow or risk everything. I like to create a table or list down my needs and wants, then I create a financial plan on how I can buy what is more important with or without affecting me as a student. After that, I circle the items on the list that are of prime importance and formulate a wise objective. I then pause to think and, if required, make changes to my budget. I create a well-balanced spending plan which keeps track of my expenses every month. I reflect daily on whether my spending plan is helping me reach my financial goals, if not I quickly make adjustments. I use a well-balanced spending plan to help me keep track of my budget for my desires and my needs. I invest 10-20% of my net income into a savings account either by saving for short/long-term goals, for an emergency fund, or short investments in assets. I stay organized by staying on top of monthly bills/fees. I personalized my budget to fit my fixed expenses (Internet/Phones), flexible expenses (Entertainment/food), and irregular expenses (Gifts/Holidays).