When I was 20 years old, I made the decision to transfer from a public state college to a private college in another state.  I wanted to get out of my parents house and have the “college experience.”  I found a school that I fell in love with.  The price tag was high and I’d need to finance my education mostly through student loans but it didn’t matter.  Moving away and gaining that freedom was worth any cost.  I made the move.

Entering my final year (it took 3 years after a change in major), I went through the yearly process of getting a loan for the upcoming school year and was rejected. I had drawn on what little credit I had to finance the last 2 years and the loan company wasn’t willing to sign off on another year.  

I was devastated. 

I remember the phone call with my Dad where he told me that I would have to come home and finish school while living with him and my mom.  I rejected that premise immediately.  I HAD to finish school where I was.  Going home would be admitting failure.  I called every loan company I could find and eventually found one that was willing to give me the money I needed to finish school.

I graduated with $60,000 in loans.  After they added all of the interest that I had accrued in 3 years, I was $75,000 in debt.  It started to make sense why that loan company rejected me.  My monthly payment was high and my first job out of school barely covered the loan plus my living expenses.  I struggled for years after I graduated.  It took almost a decade after finishing school to finally get to a point where my student loans didn’t make up an unreasonable portion of my monthly income.

Why am I passionate about personal finance education?  I don’t want the next 18 or 20 year old to make the same mistake that I did.  When I look back on my decisions and how much they still impact me, I wish that my high school curriculum had taught me about how important these decisions were and how much they matter for the rest of your life.  

NGPF’s mission is my own mission.  Every graduating high school student is about to make major financial decisions:  owning a car, moving away from home, choosing a career, starting retirement investment early and financing college.  Every one of those students should be able to make these decisions with proper financial education.  

I’m excited to join NGPF to make this vision a reality.

About the Author

Dave Martin

Dave joins NGPF with 15 years of teaching experience in math and computer science. After joining the New York City Teaching Fellows program and earning a Master's degree in Education from Pace University, his teaching career has taken him to New York, New Jersey and a summer in the north of Ghana. Dave firmly believes that financial literacy is vital to creating well-rounded students that are prepared for a complex and highly competitive world. During what free time two young daughters will allow, Dave enjoys video games, Dungeons & Dragons, cooking, gardening, and taking naps.