In all Arkansas high schools, students are required to take a semester of economics. Some of these schools offer advanced economics classes; however, a small group of students is committed to expanding and sharing their economic knowledge with others. To pursue their shared interest, those students formed The Financial Literacy Club.
The club was created last year by Maeher Kumar, a senior and current leader of the club. Club members like senior Keshav Ankem actively participate, working together to form a small financial community.
“I think [the community] is amazing,” Ankem said. “Even if we have a smaller group, we’re all just going there for the sake of the club, not just because our friends are there. We’re all interested in learning about [finance].”
Ankem wants to go into entrepreneurship and is seeking a major in Finance. Even students who aren’t directly pursuing a career in finance can still benefit from participating in the club. Senior Sean Morello has been able to create his own investment account with assistance from the club.
“I feel like I make a lot safer decisions [with] my career and future,” Morello said. “ I feel like I’ll definitely be better with my money.”
To enhance their economic knowledge, the club has brought in Angela Frierson, a community manager at JP Morgan Chase. She agreed to come speak for the club after Kumar contacted her, and she has spoken at numerous meetings since.
The average club meeting involves the members greeting each other and talking, while Frierson sets up. After that, she explains different economic ideas, answers questions, and then the club is dismissed.
“I have a real compassion for helping people, for sharing knowledge and information,” Frierson said.
Frierson has become a vital part of the club, teaching them financial topics, as well as helping them with personal economic challenges. Everybody in the club has formed together to create a small but economically informed community.
“I think over time, since we bond and work together, we’ll be able to bring more new members in, and we can all just have a big old community where we can talk about these financial concepts,” said Ankem.
