Just a post for fun...

Today, rather than share an article or offer a great resource, I thought I'd just have a little fun...by sharing some personal insight into financial literacy and social media.

Working in the field of higher education, I see the shortcomings of financial literacy education in America today. Students choosing to come to school as a source of income to make ends meet by overborrowing on student loans that they may or may not ever be able to repay. Students choosing a $7.00 an hour job over attending class that has the potential to lead to a job paying much better. Students not contributing, even if only a small amount, to their education and thus increasing the amount of interest paid and length of repayment. These are just a few of the financial decisions young Americans are unprepared or underprepared to make as a result of lacking personal finance education in high schools and colleges today.

Growing up in a small town in rural Ohio, I look back on the personal finance education I received. With the exception of a few lessons on checkwriting in one of my high school business education courses, most everything I learned was from watching my mom...how she paid bills, how she went to the bank to handle transactions, and much more. Thanks Mom--you have no idea how much I learned from you all those years ago! Yet today, I worry that if I were growing up now that I would not be prepared to make the financial decisions facing teenagers and young adults with that knowledge given to me by Mom. This is one of the reasons why I have become so passionate about the field of personal finance education and why I have chosen to do research in this area as part of my doctoral education. If I can just give back to this generation to help them prepare just a bit, I will have done what I have been called to do.

In terms of my interest for social media, that came about rather oddly. Just a few short years ago, I was one of those individuals who said, "I'll never have a Facebook account or ever open a Twitter account." Today, I have both! And LinkedIn and have several other social media outlets through organizations of which I am a member. I guess I never really saw a purpose of outlets like Facebook or for Twitter or even a blog, something I am growing to truly enjoy. As a result of my opening up my horizons, I have reconnected with old friends and colleagues and made many new personal and professional acquaintances. Plus, social media is a powerful tool that can be used to reach a variety of audiences. Through my involvement in professional development in business education, I have really grown to appreciate this power and have learned ways in which to harness that power for the greater good.

So, there you have it! A little insight into what brought me to start my personal finance and social media journey and what ultimately brought me to start this blog a few short weeks ago. I hope this short diversion from our normal path gives you a little boost and helps you explore your own passions for personal finance education and social media!