Ethelbert Anum

SFEPD Student Ambassador
Talladega College
Hometown: Carson, California

Growing up, what kind of relationship did you have with money?

Growing up, I would just save everything because I was afraid of losing all of the money I had.

What was it like to serve as an SFEPD Student Ambassador teaching your peers about personal finance, and what did you learn about yourself from this experience?

I honestly really enjoyed this experience because personal finance has been a topic very dear to my heart for the last couple of years. I learned that I am a good presenter when it comes to this topic, but I also learned that most of my peers have never been exposed to personal finance. I enjoyed the post presentation stories in which people come up to me and tell me the steps they have taken in their finances.

What are the major benefits of students learning personal finance skills through seminars and classes during their college years?

The major benefits are that it sets them up for the rest of their lives to be more financially literate. These are the years in a young adults live in which they are taking in a lot of information that will be used in their adulthood.

When should students start learning basic concepts about personal finance (in elementary, middle school, high school, or college) and why?

They should start learning it as young as elementary so personal finance is not foreign to them when they have the money and age in the future.

If you could share one financial tip with college students, what would it be?

Invest early and often.

As a result of your Student Ambassador experience, what key lessons did you learn to help you manage your money better and is planning for your financial future an important goal after college?

I learned that a budget is for everybody and should be used to properly manage my money. I also learned that credit is a great addition to have in addition to my banking. I definitely see planning my financial future as an important goal for me after college because money and finances will always be a constant in my life.

How did serving as a Student Ambassador help you prepare for your future and your career goals?

Aside from playing professional basketball, I want to spread financial literacy across the country primarily targeting the younger generation and people of color. I have started this with my investing page @investwithbert. But, I will take it to the bigger stage soon. Then, I want to get into real estate by owning rental properties and commercial properties. SFEPD has definitely helped me because I have learned the different areas of personal finance that people need to learn about most.