Jul 30, 2021

NGPF Podcast: Three RI High School Students On Advocating for Financial Education

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n this special NGPF Podcast, Yanely interviews three high schoolers from Rhode Island: Lila Somvanshi, Matthew Tactacan & Penelope Tejada. They discuss why they are so passionate about financial education which led them to testify in favor of a bill that would increase access to this essential course. Enjoy hearing from these passionate advocates.  

Details:

  • 0:00~1:07 Introduction
  • 1:07~5:16 The three students’ backgrounds
  • 5:16~10:45 The value of personal finance education in the 21st century
  • 10:45~15:57 The process of advocating for increased access to personal finance education
  • 15:57~16:45 A word from NGPF
  • 16:45~26:00 Experience testifying in Rhode Island
  • 26:00~36:24 Impact of HB5491 for future students
  • 36:24~44:42 Making student voices count
  • 44:42~45:50 Conclusion

Resources:

Quotes:

  • "Being an advocate is something everyone should do, whether it be in their own little way or something big, everybody can make a difference." -Penelope Tejada

  • “What I think it means to be an advocate is to have the courage to stand up for something you really believe in and try to use yourself as a platform to help change other people's lives for the better." - Matthew Tatacan

  • "Financial education classes help me mature more in my life than any other class or activity." -Lila Somvanshi

About the Authors

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.

Ren Makino

Ren started interning at NGPF in 2014, and worked part-time through high school and college. With his knowledge growing alongside NGPF, he joined the team to work full-time after graduating from college in 2020. He is also the producer of the NGPF podcast. During his free time, he likes to try out coffees from different roasters across the world.

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