What are you doing now?

I am a freshman at DePaul University. I am studying computer science and plan to explore the software engineering program.

What is the most recent financial decision you made?

My biggest financial decision was choosing which college to attend. It was an investment in my future. I had multiple offers from multiple schools. They were all different; some schools offered me a full ride. I had to figure out the schools and programs that best fit my goals and made the most sense for me.

What is the most important thing you learned about financial education?

Money management and investing in yourself. I am a believer that saving and investing will help create financial security. This will help me plan and prepare for retirement. Learning how investing can build long-term wealth was valuable. I shared what I learned about investing in the stock market and other investments with my family.

What advice do you have for current students?

College is an investment for your future. It can be hard to pay for and loans may be necessary, but it will help you in the long run. Prepare for college by taking advantage of free classes such as AP and dual credit. The more knowledge you learn, the better, and these classes can count for college credit. Take rigorous courses in high school. They will help you get ready for the challenging coursework you will experience in college.
Ultimately, follow your dreams and pursue what you think is best for your career. Even if things don’t go your way at first, they will in the end.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?

In 5 years, I will be one year out of college and exploring career options. In 10 years, I will be working as a project manager for a company like Microsoft.

What are you doing now?

Studying music education at The Ohio State University

What is the most recent financial decision you made?

On a small scale, deciding to buy lunch. On a larger scale, deciding to use some of my saved money to buy a varsity jacket for the marching band.

What is the most important thing you learned about financial education?

It is incredibly important to keep track of your funds and make sure you fully understand where they are going or how you are choosing to use them.

What advice do you have for current students?

Pay attention in class! What you are learning is very important, especially once you begin to make big financial decisions for your future in college or a post-high-school career. Understanding the different types of loans will be very helpful when dealing with financial aid packages.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?

In five years, I will hopefully have graduated from college and started a job as a band director. In ten years, I am hoping to have a steady job in a good school, as well as starting a family.

What are you doing now?

I am a junior at UIC, a marketing major, and a customer service associate at Lowe's hardware store.

What is the most recent financial decision you made?

I paid my light and gas bill. I bought some things for myself.

What is the most important thing you learned about financial education?

What I learned about financial education was that finance is what makes this world go round. Every day we encounter something to do with finance and if you are able to understand and handle financial literacy, the rest of your life won’t be as hard. To take a course like this early on will prevent you from a lot of financial mistakes that you would probably make later on in your future.

What advice do you have for current students?

Learning about financial literacy early on in your life is extremely beneficial. Take the time to try and understand it and it will benefit you in the future. If you don't try to understand it now, life will be a little more difficult later on. Use your money wisely. Think about what that purchase can do for you in the long run. Learn the difference between needs and wants.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?

I see myself either running a firm or working for one. I see myself financially stable and living my best life.

What are you doing now?

I’m a sophomore in high school

What is the most recent financial decision you made?

The most recent financial decision I made was deciding whether or not to purchase an item of clothing I wanted to buy. Before actually buying it, I went over things in my head like if I actually needed it or if I should save my money for something more important in the future.

What is the most important thing you learned about financial education?

The most important thing I learned about financial education was that the way you spend and take care of your money when you're young will lead to how you handle money as you get older. When you are young, if you spend your money however you want to, it is likely that you will be the same when you are older and it will be much harder to adapt once you have established bad habits. Over time, your financial situation will change and you will have to make a new budget which will require you to be flexible with your money. Making yourself a budget will be something that you will forever use and once you do that you will realize how much easier it makes things. Keeping track of your saving and spending can help you in many cases when needed.

What advice do you have for current students?

My advice for current students is that they should take a class about finance, because it will not only help them in that moment, but it will also prepare them for when they are older. Dealing with money is something serious that everyone does differently, but taking a class in my opinion has opened my eyes to so many new things. I strongly suggest that every student in high school, no matter what grade, should try and take a finance class before graduating to benefit themselves.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?

In 10 years, I hope to be a college graduate and have a job as a financial advisor. My step-father is a financial advisor and I have watched him work and have truly wanted to pursue the career he has for myself as well. He has inspired me to go into the finance business and has taken me under his wing in order to teach me more about the business.

What are you doing now?

I am currently a senior in high school and run track.

What is the most recent financial decision you made?

The most recent financial decision I made was paying for new track gear to help me in the upcoming season. I was able to do this by saving a small portion of my allowance weekly in order to purchase the new gear.

What is the most important thing you learned about financial education?

The most important thing I learned about financial education is not to be afraid of risk. In the stock market, the higher the risk, the higher the reward. When time is on your side, you have the benefit of being aggressive when it comes to investing.

What advice do you have for current students?

My advice to current students is to not take this class for granted. Although there are many classes that you’ll take and almost never use that information outside of school, personal finance is the complete opposite. Almost all the topics you learn in financial education classes really teach a lot of important things that will help you in what you will experience in the near future. Having financial literacy is beneficial to adult life and these classes make it so you are well educated to make the right choices about handling your money.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?

In 5 years, I see myself with a bachelor's degree in engineering. In 10 years, I see myself working for a successful engineering company.

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.

What are you doing now? (If still in high school, list current grade.)

I have just begun my senior year in high school.

What is the most recent financial decision you made?

Spending money on some fire socks and shirts.

What is the most important thing you learned about financial education?

The most important thing I learned was a good understanding of the stock market, and also filling out forms for paychecks.

What advice do you have for current students?

My advice is to truly understand your spending. Take a look at what you have to buy and what you don't have to buy. Is it a necessity or could you save that money instead? Whenever you are about to make a financial decision, consider the size, quantity, and impact this decision will have on you and future choices. Know that it’s fine to treat yourself if you can afford it.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?

In five years, I see myself graduating with an undergraduate degree from a business-oriented program. In 10 years, I hope to be involved in a successful company located outside of Illinois.

What are you doing now?

I am looking for a summer job. I would like to experience working now, so I can learn what future employers will expect. I also want to save more money for my future so that I will be able to provide for myself and be covered and protected if need be.

What is the most recent financial decision you made?

Recently, I had to organize a budget for money I have in savings. I sat down with my family, took out a calculator, and analyzed how much I could spend on the things I need, want, and how much I would put away. This is very important and it is also a practice that many people should do more often: plan out what you’re going to do with your money, so that when it comes down to saving and spending, you’ll know what you can and cannot do.

What is the most important thing you learned about financial education?

School teaches a lot of great things, but this program made me aware of something essential to most people’s success in life, which is personal finance. I didn’t understand much about personal finance before this class.

The program taught us how to prepare for our future and how to be financially successful. It seems to me that the things we were being taught was something everyone rightfully deserves to know. To know how credit and loans work, and who is on our side, or what people stand to benefit or gain from our decisions. Simply having this knowledge puts us on a level playing field when making financial decisions that can affect the rest of our lives.

What advice do you have for current students?

My advice to you is to know who is on your side, and who isn’t. There are those who want you to succeed, and others who just want your money and your benefits. Make sure you know who is who.

Self-discipline is also very important when it comes to financial well-being. It takes a lot of moral strength to make precise and ethical decisions with money.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?

In five years, I see myself graduating with a Master’s Degree in Psychology. I am currently doing community service and internships with children so that I can productively prepare myself for my future career and have a positive impact on my community. In ten years, I will have a PhD in Psychology. I will go to work every day and experience the joy of doing what I love. I will be financially stable, so that I can provide for my family and myself. My credit score will be 800 and I will have little to no debt. I will have an emergency fund and a retirement account that was started many years prior.

What are you doing now?

I am a senior in high school making plans for college.

What is the most recent financial decision you made?

Buying a laptop for college.

What is the most important thing you learned about financial education?

Understanding the terms of a credit card and how to properly use a credit card.

What advice do you have for current students?

Learn as much as possible because some things we learn in school are not useful in real life but this class truly was.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?

I’m interested in becoming a teacher but haven’t decided yet.

What are you doing now?

I am a student at DePaul University studying in the Strobel Accounting honors program. I am part of DePaul Investment Group and Accounting Club.

What is the most recent financial decision you made?

The decision to go to college was the most recent financial decision.

What is the most important thing you learned about financial education?

Financial education is extremely important in everything one does and can lead to a future that you want. The most important thing I learned was creating a budget that is realistic and conducive to one's goals.

What advice do you have for current students?

Start learning about money and planning for your future as soon as possible. It is easier to learn and apply financial knowledge when you are young and have less to worry about. Also, always have a goal for where you want to be and create a budget surrounding that.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?

I see myself working at Deloitte in 5 years as a financial consultant. In 10 years, I see myself as a partner at a big four firm.

What are you doing now?

I am a junior in high school and focused on my future regarding college and future financial decisions to be made.

What is the most recent financial decision you made?

The most recent financial decision I have made was about buying a concert ticket. I wanted to attend a concert but the tickets were around $59 to $62. I made the decision to not attend and put the majority of my allowance into savings. That way I would reach my savings goal faster.

What is the most important thing you learned in your financial education class?

I have learned that saving money for college will help you be more prepared for college.

What advice do you have for current students?

Advice that I have for current students is to always save a portion of your money and do not spend it all. Another piece of advice I have is to pay attention when dealing with money and learning about it.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In five years, I see myself in college, or possibly in the medical field already, and of course, not in student loan debt. In ten years, I see myself getting a job as an anesthesiologist and settling down.

What are you doing now? Where are you studying?

I am in high school working and improving on my math skills after school.

What is the most recent financial decision you made?

I decided to buy my brother's Garcia Carnival ticket. Since my mom has been spending a lot of money on my prom and graduation expenses, I decided it would be better if I were to pay for it myself.

What is the most important thing you learned from Magnetar Academy?

I learned that it is really important to review a company's data before actually choosing that company as part of your Magnetar portfolio.

What advice do you have for current Magnetar Academy students?

My advice to those who are ranking between 15 and 30 is to make changes to their Magnetar portfolios. Really analyze a company's information before choosing it. It is not just a random choice. The companies you choose will help you either gain money or lose money. My advice is to choose those that are making good profits.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

My plan is to attend my first two years at a community college and from there transfer to a four-year university. In five years, I will most likely be in my third year of college.

What are you doing now? Where are you studying?

I am a student at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

What is the most recent financial decision you made?

The most recent financial decision I made was to open a savings account in order to begin saving for my master's and Ph.D. programs in London. In order to be a student in London, you have to show that you have so much in savings in your accounts, and I am hopeful that my dream to complete my master's and Ph.D. degrees in London will come true beginning next year as I get closer to graduation in May 2019.

What is the most important thing you learned from Magnetar Academy?

I think the most important thing I learned from Magnetar Academy was how to properly manage money and the different options available to do so. As I look toward the future, I think of my three nieces who have dreams of going to college—however, I know our family cannot afford it. I am blessed to be a Posse Foundation Scholar, which comes with an academics-based leadership full-tuition scholarship. However, we do not know what the future holds for my nieces. While we hope they will be blessed to obtain full-tuition scholarships for their respective interests, it is yet to be determined. And because it is not determined, I have begun saving for their college funds using 529 savings accounts. I am hopeful that when it comes time for them to go to college, they will have enough to get by with few loans taken out.

What advice do you have for current Magnetar Academy students?

I would tell students to actually take in everything the curriculum and challenge have to offer, because Magnetar Academy is something that you will find yourself thinking about in the future, even when it comes to smaller things not completely related to finance. I would also tell students to find mentors. Mentors can expose you to things you never knew were possible and on the same token different types of mentors can expose you to different things. As a student, you want to be well rounded in your involvement and academics. Preparing to go into college, access is what keeps students from exceeding. I do not mean access to things like a phone or computer; while those are important, it is even more important to have access to experiences and opportunities. This is where mentors will help you, support you, and teach you. Make the most out of your networks and reach out to individuals you believe bolster your interests and values.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?

In five years, I see myself in graduate school in London, England at the University of Westminster. I would like to complete a master's degree in International Business and Management, followed by a Ph.D. in Business, focusing on Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Communication. I hope to continue to be involved throughout my collegiate experiences and help those who come along after me gain better understandings of business and finance so they can be financially literate and make smart business and financial decisions.

What are you doing now? Where are you studying?

I am attending DePaul University for my bachelors degree.

What is the most recent financial decision you made?

The most recent financial decision I have made was to invest in my money in my education at DePaul University.

What is the most important thing you learned from studying finance?

By studying finance, I learned that not every competition is about winning. Rather, sometimes what you learn from competing is more important than any prize or money.

What advice do you have for current Magnetar Academy students?

Students should be more open-minded when choosing their stocks. Moreover, one of the most important things they can do is ask questions and ask for help and advice in selecting their stocks.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?

As soon as I can, I will be running my own business, have some investments in the stock market, and living life to the fullest!

What are you doing now? Where are you studying?

I will attend Northwestern University in Fall of 2017.

What is the most recent financial decision you made?

The most recent financial decision I made was to save 75% of my income over the summer, so that I won't have to work as hard during my first semester of college.

What is the most important thing you learned from studying finance?

Magnetar taught me important life skills, in relation to finances, that I probably wouldn't have learned in my traditional classes. I learned about how to invest wisely and assess the stock market. I also learned about different methods of saving and investing my money.

What advice do you have for current Magnetar Academy students?

Students should try their hardest and pay close attention to what they are being taught by Magnetar Youth Academy because it may be a tool that is useful in the future.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?

5 Years: In 5 years, I see myself in my first year of medical or law school (I haven't decided yet). I would have also studied abroad at least twice due to my Global Health minor.

10 Years: In 10 years, I see myself as either a lawyer or a doctor trying to open her own practice on the southside of Chicago.

What are you doing now? Where are you studying?

Currently studying at Iowa State University.

What year are you?

I am a junior.

What is your major?

I am an economics and agricultural business major.

What year did you participate in the Team Challenge? What high school did you go to?

I participated in the 2014 Team Challenge as a student at Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences.

What is most memorable to you about Magnetar Academy?

The information I learned proved how supreme Magnetar Academy is at teaching the basic financial principles for students to understand. The program sparked my interest to experience the curriculum in real life.

What lessons did you learn from your experience at the Challenge?

I learned that the level of advancement in the trading industry is competitive and there is a lot of opportunity to create profit based on volatile worldly events and the performance [of] hundreds of thousands of companies. I use these lessons from the competition by studying how various markets fluctuate and the industries that create everyday products.

How do you use these lessons in your everyday life today?

In my everyday life I use these lessons from the competition by studying how various markets fluctuate and the industries that create everyday products. [In my internship at Magnetar Capital] I looked at thousands of numbers and figures every day to make sure they were correct. This helped my team gain insight and move forward. Every step in this process must be done with great attention to detail. Learning how to analyze financial documents to create reports taught me the amount of work that goes into real-life investment decisions.

Have you had any additional experience with trading or the trading industry since then?

I have stayed involved in trading, using a simulated trading platform in one of my courses this semester. And I obtained an internship this upcoming summer with ADM in Decatur, IL, as a commodity merchandiser/trader.

Why is financial literacy important?

I recognize the importance of everyday financial literacy principles like saving and investing. But I also see a lot of value in opening students’ eyes to potential career paths.

What advice would you give to current high school students, either about the Team Challenge or about financial education in general?

I would tell them to try and stay interested and active in the business and trading world, because there are innumerable careers and opportunities to really earn profit, just how the Team Challenge features. Also, from my experience it is helpful to always ask questions to people who are in these positions and who have ample experience because they can generally offer a plethora of insight.

What are you doing now?

I am a Junior studying journalism—with and intended specialty in strategic communication in public relations—at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

How did your team do at the Team Challenge this year?

I am pretty sure we placed toward the end of the spectrum...

What is most memorable to you about the Challenge?

It was quite a nerve-wracking and exciting experience to be the one behind the computer making the decision for your team. The most memorable part was when I was asked to talk about the program and my experience with it.

What lessons did you learn from your experience at the Challenge?

I learned how to make lasting relationships and how those relationships or events can truly impact your life. I don't think I realized this until much later, when thinking back and reflecting on my experiences. Definitely another valuable lesson was making smart and thought-out financially sound decisions.

How do you use these lessons in your everyday life today?

I have found myself reflecting recently on where I am in my life and what decisions I made that led me here. Sharing my experience in regard to the program led me to do the a more personal short video of my experience for Magnetar Academy's night of financial literacy. Through that I was connected with Melinda McMullen who worked for Magnetar Capital, and who stayed in touch with me. She informed me about an opportunity to intern with Magnetar the summer after my first year in college, for which I applied and got. The internship gave me access to experiences I would have never gotten as a freshman or even in a business class.

Though I am no longer a business major, I have always thought it’s a valuable asset to know a little bit of about a lot of different things, and it helps me stay open to opportunities that can lead me to a different place. I remember I used to be hesitant about public speaking, but Magnetar helped me work on my communication skills, as well as take a chance and do more than the minimum. At school I joined an organization called Business Badgers and Beyond, where I am currently the vice president of communications. I also joined the Badger Herald, which is the nation’s largest independent student-run newspaper. Starting off as a reporter, I was recently promoted to associate editor covering state news in Wisconsin.  

My father passed away when I was a child, so I was raised by my mother, and she was terminally ill when I went off to college. From the moment I made a choice on where I was going to school, I had to start making smart choices more adamantly, so I would not land in a more difficult living situation. My mom passed away before I got to finish my first semester in college and I couldn’t really afford to be spending money on trivial stuff. I got a job on campus and I set out to make sound financial choices. I do have older sister who offers to help me financially, but I try to make do with what I get from my job.

Have you had any additional experience with trading or the trading industry since then?

I did intern for Magnetar as a finance intern, but that was as close as I got to the trading industry.

Why is financial literacy important?

Financial literacy is a very important topic that should be addressed at an early age. It’s about learning basic financial principles when you start working that part-time job, so that when you have a career and stable income you will be prepared. For instance, at 18 one becomes eligible to apply for credit cards, and that can be a slippery slope if you don’t understand the implications that come along with it. Awareness of these sorts of situations is what financial literacy is about. It’s important to address this early on because the college experience is also a situation in which people become a little more independent now that they don’t have their parents making every decision for them. To decide if you want to eat out every day of the week, or even decide if you want to waste money on a shopping spree when you know you’re about to start a new semester and books can cost and arm and a leg, so to say. Or even deciding where to go to school based on the more financially sound option, because sometimes making that wrong decision can leave you in debt for more years than you were in school. These decisions that affect our lives need to be made with some sort of knowledge to back them up, since the impact can be long term.

What advice would you give to current high school students, either about the Team Challenge or about financial education in general?

Well first, some of you guys might just see this as an enrichment class you need to take to fill a school requirement, but you should be aware that it is more than that. It will surprise you how uninformed and reckless some people can be with financial decisions. I know you are in high school and college might be your next step, so these concepts seem to be ages away. But important financial decisions are not that far. So, make reference to what you learned when you start that part-time job, when you start to pick where you go to college, whether you should get that credit card. I hope you guys have those same retrospective moments that I have now – and realize what a good decision you made when you took this class.

What are you doing now?

I am a junior studying Finance and Accounting at the University of Pennsylvania.

What is the most recent financial decision you made?

The only time I ever break my budget is for family. I recently sent some money my parents way as it was the least I can do, considering they raised me and all...

What is the most important thing you learned from Magnetar Academy?

You can understand what a budget is, the power of compound interest, basic concepts of risk management, etc. However, none of them matter if you are not disciplined.

What advice do you have for current Magnetar Academy students?

Recognize that your learning is not this perfectly linear progression that will accommodate your desires. You will experience setbacks along the way but learn from your mistakes. Never let your emotions influence your decisions; instead, understand the power of reframing and charge ahead. It is the only way to grow. And while you are growing, ignore the doubters and empower yourself with individuals who desire to be successful. If that was not a mouthful, the most valuable piece of advice I can give anyone is to make the decision to live your life with integrity. If you cannot be honest with others, you can never be completely honest with yourself.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?

Three years ago if you asked me this question I would have told you what I would be doing even thirty years out. Honestly, there is so much that I am learning day in and day out that I refuse to give an answer. You’ve got to dream big right? A few of my short term goals are to solidify my written Spanish, learn how to program, beat my roommate Mike in FIFA 17, and get a 4.0 GPA for 1 semester. A few of my long-term goals are to write my own book, become a data master, and open up my own proprietary fund.