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

I knew about how money was used and to save it. My family is well off so that wasn’t a worry within our household.

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 learned that a lot of my peers don’t have access to this financial information so they were always grateful to gain the knowledge. I also learned that everyone’s situation at Hampton is not the same as mine so it became even more important to share this information with my peers. I enjoyed meeting new Hamptonians while doing these presentations and providing them with the information and seeing them apply it to their daily lives.

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

It teaches them early on how to take care of their finances as young adults, budget, and save the money they make now to see it grow over time. Providing this information to college students is critical because it will prepare them quickly for life after college and managing the expenses they will rack up overtime.

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

I feel that middle school is the best age range to start teaching about financial education because it will engrained in them to make smart money decisions and encourage them to save their money now to see it grow as they grow up.

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

SAVE. SAVE. SAVE. Do not spend all the money you make/gain all at once! Put at least half away into a savings account and hold yourself accountable to continue to do that every time you gain income or extra spending money.

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?

A lesson I learned was to take seriously investing your money and be patient with it as it fluctuates over time. I didn’t know much about investing until I joined SFEPD. I also do feel that planning for your financial future is just as if not more important after you graduate because no matter what your next chapter is, you need to be able to live meaning that you need to have the finances together to live a comfortable life.

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

My career goal is to work for a financial services company and at some go to graduate school to receive my MBA. SFEPD has helped me prepare for my future by having me understand how to manage my finances and understand the expenses that I will have to think about when I have my own place and I’m working full time. It also has helped me learn about basic and important financial education concepts to prepare me for the field that I want to get into.