Late Fall 2019
December 06, 2019
What are you doing now?
I am currently a junior at Niles North High School.
What is the most recent financial decision you made?
The most recent financial decision I made was whether I should go on my school’s theater trip to London. The cost of the trip was around $1,800. At the end of the decision-making process, my family and I decided that instead of going on a school trip, the money could be saved, towards an annual family trip over the summer.
What is the most important thing you learned about financial education?
The most valuable thing I have learned in financial education was about loans and savings towards retirement. I can create a more stable and secure financial future by analyzing poor decisions and learning how they can be fixed and improved in the future. I have been able to integrate these important skills and techniques into my daily spending habits.
What advice do you have for current students?
At our school, taking and passing a consumer education course is a graduation requirement. Students take a one semester-long consumer education course or a year-long business and tech class. Many of the students have Mrs. Jean Attig as their business teacher and DECA advisor. For many students, the material taught in this class doesn’t seem important as they are learning it, but the lessons taught will be extremely important in the future.
My advice for current students would be to pay attention during class and take the opportunity to learn and understand the material being taught because these topics are extremely important regardless of which career path you take. Mrs. Attig is an exceptional teacher, she uses the finEDge curriculum which has taught me many financial life skills that I will use for the rest of my life. The workbooks used in the finEDge curriculum are extremely valuable as they include mock stories to differentiate between a good decision versus a bad one. The stories that are included are easy to understand and relate to. They talk about simple spending such as: buying a backpack, planning a party, and spending money for an outing with friends. The lessons taught are extremely important and will assure your financial well being if taken full advantage of. The lessons also helped to teach me the importance of financial literacy. After taking this course, I can’t imagine entering the real world, without this experience.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?
I am currently exploring different career paths in business and am looking for jobs that ignite my passion. I aspire to be a leader. In the next 5 years, I see myself graduating with a bachelor’s degree in a business major. I want to complete many internship programs that further my learning and boost my readiness for the future. In 10 years, I will be working in a field of my choosing. I want a position where I can acquire new knowledge and develop my skill set. I want to be able to understand the areas in my workplace that need more improvement and extend my expertise and offer help to others. I want to use my skills and knowledge gained in my role to give value to my presence and take my career to the next level.