Garden Home woman helps young people learn about money matters

By Christina Lent

The Beaverton Valley Times, Jan 17, 2008, Updated Oct 30, 2009 (1 Reader comment)

ADVERTISEMENTS

Melody Thompson asked a classroom of nine high school seniors what they would do with a

$1 million inheritance from a rich uncle.

The students’ list included buying a car and a house, shopping sprees, entertainment purchases, investing, starting a business, traveling, buying and selling real estate, buying a sports team and putting a portion of the inheritance away in savings.

“Now how many of us really have a rich uncle?” she asked the class.

When none of the seniors raised their hands, Thompson pointed to the list on the white board.

“If it’s a priority, you can make any of these things happen,” she said. “If you learn how to handle and manage your money right, you can have whatever you want.

“By starting small now, you can put a little bit away and watch your money grow. It’s all about having priorities and working toward achieving your goals.”

Thompson, a Garden Home resident, serves as the executive director and co-founder of Financial Beginnings, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating and equipping youth and young adults with the tools needed to successfully manage their personal finances.

Financial Beginnings offers four financial literacy programs for students in middle school and high school, young adults and parents.

During the free sessions in schools, colleges and community centers, Thompson teaches students about how to manage personal bank accounts, use credit wisely, the importance of insurance and the value of savings and investment.

“I’m only giving them an introduction to banking, credit, insurance and savings in the limited two hours I have on each subject, but I want them to be aware of this information,” she said.

“I want to give them the necessary tools so that when they are introduced to these things in the future, they will have the knowledge to gather more information and become savvy consumers.”

1 | 2 Next Page >>