Joel is a Senior in high school from Washington D.C. who recently participated in FGI. We sat down with Joel to learn more about his story and experience with the program in this interview.
Tell us a little more about yourself.
I'm a senior at KIPP DC College Prep. I am the current Student Body President, co-founder of the school store, President of Future Business Leaders of America, and ambassador. I was born and raised in Southeast DC. I honestly enjoy spending time with my family and watching many of my younger cousins grow up. I love bowling! That's what I do.
How did you discover FGI?
FGI came up to me at the last minute. I was in the cafeteria with my best friend, and the coordinator of NAF, Ms. Trinh, approached us and asked if we would like to participate in an investing program. I thought, “Why not?”. She let me know they meet on Saturdays. I told her I could not do Saturdays and asked if it would be possible to meet on Sundays. She told me she’d try to reach out to the tutors, and they found a tutor and were willing to meet with me on Sundays.
What was your favorite part of FGI?
Coming to Georgetown, presenting our projects, and meeting new people was probably the best part, honestly. Also, being able to connect with my tutor was great.
How did the program change the way that you had traditionally thought about finance and investing? How did it change your habits?
Well, I always thought investing was only for rich people. I didn't know that people who don’t have a lot of money could also invest. So, it opened my eyes to the fact that anybody can invest. And now I can share that with my community. I plan to major in finance at Georgetown this Fall, so I will continue learning. It also made me consider the cost of attending school. While school is a good investment, I didn't want to take out student loans. So, I compared which schools I could get the most funding for. I looked at Georgetown, the University of Pennsylvania, and several HBCUs. I was able to get a full ride to Georgetown University.
FGI is an organization supported by donors and almost all volunteers. What message would you send to those who have supported, or are considering supporting a program like this?
Do it, do it! It's an efficient way to give back to the community and to know that your work will not be in vain because the program instills a lot in students. It opens doors to places we'd probably never been able to walk in without this program. I look forward to supporting FGI and becoming a tutor to help students.
What are your plans, goals, or dreams?
I am focused on starting at Georgetown University this summer and going in with an open mind. My grandmother told me to always have an open mind, open heart, and open arms. I just don't know what to expect, especially as a first-generation student from DC and going to a school in DC because, at one point, I wanted to get out of DC. And being from a low-income household, there are a lot of well-off people at Georgetown. So, I'm trying to find my place. I’m happy to have a network of people at Georgetown through FGI. It's always good to know somebody, even if we don't speak every day. If something goes wrong, I know I have someone to go to. Having that is good.
What else would you like to share?
I'll just say thank God for the opportunity. It really helped me out a lot, especially speaking with my tutor at the time. I was going through a lot, and I lost a lot of people during that time. FGI was an escape.
