Meet a FinHero: Renee Nelson, Financial Math Teacher

From Renee:

"High interest rates and working to pay down debt are realities for many of us because what we’ve always been taught about money is to 'spend.' Read my case study to find out how a little goes a long way towards more meaningful decisions around money. At first, I took on the responsibility of introducing a class like this to our staff and a handful of students without any support. Yet with continued research, passion, and practice, I've been fortunate to secure personal finance instruction for more and more students every year. In turn, our community has begun to benefit from the power of financial capability. This course will have a profound effect on my students' financial lives for years. Through a personal finance course, our students make wise financial decisions sooner rather than later."

Read Ms. Nelson's full FinHero Case Study

Summary: Ms. Nelson Surges Toward Altitude Camp 2

After experimenting with several college-credit math courses in her first six years at the school, Renee looked to finance in search of a more relevant course for seniors. Not only did students get more engaged as soon as money came up, but Renee also became personally interested in financial capability when she decided to conquer her own debt, buy a house, and save up to earn her Master’s degree in Business Administration from Syracuse University.

In 2012, Renee channeled this passion to build a financial math elective. In the course’s first year, Ms. Nelson reached 10% of the school’s senior class. Over the next 4 years, she grew the course steadily, but when she learned that Syracuse was offering high school personal finance for college credit, she jumped at the chance to “level up.” Seniors now take Ms. Nelson’s finance elective for college math credit.