MONEYTHINK
The University of Chicago
WHAT WE DO
Recognized by President Obama as one of America’s most promising social innovations, Moneythink is the only movement of young people working to restore the economic health of the United States through financial education.
We recruit and train college volunteers to serve as near-peer role models, college mentors, and financial coaches to low-income teens in high school classrooms within our communities. In partnership with schools and community organizations, our volunteers lead 11th-and-12th-graders through a program focused on the real-world financial decisions that young people face.
Through our program, young people work together to build strong relationships, engage in meaningful dialogue, and take practical action toward their financial and career goals. Our volunteers deliver programming at the local partner site, in a student-to-mentor ratio of 5-to-1 or less, once per week for a full school year.Moneythink UChicago
WHAT WE TEACH
THREE MODULE STRUCTURE
We've recruited some of the most talented students at the University of Chicago. They have become our mentors, and work with students at our partnerships across the City of Chicago. Each of our mentors is trained in teaching the following courses
PERSONAL FINANCE
This introductory course is built to provide our students with a foundation of personal finance knowledge, with a specific focus on common pitfalls as well as actions they can begin to take in order to ensure their financial stability in the future.
COLLEGE & CAREER READINESS
The winter module focuses on preparing students for life post high school graduation. Whether or not our mentees plan on going to college we want to provide them with the resources to succeed both academically and professionally.
MONEY TANK: ENTREPRENEURSHIP
The final course in the Moneythink programs revolves around entrepreneurship. We work with our students to solve community issues and build up company ideas. The lessons help students build up a business plan that ultimately culminates in our city wide pitch competition, Money Tank.
PROVEN RESULTS
In the classroom, we deliver results that promote financial capability.
Moneythink Mentors have a huge impact on their students' lives -
Here are some of our measured results.
76% of students believe they have the opportunity to become financially successful
49% increase in student's ability to manage their own finances
39% increase in student's belief that they will be more financially successful than their parents
48% increase in household discussions of money management
86% of students plan to graduate from college
OUR STUDENTS
Our students see the lasting impact of Moneythink. Here's what some of them had to say.
"It was more than just teaching financial literacy; it was teaching us to be effective members of society"
- Jeremiah Douchee
Moneythink Graduate
"Moneythink gave us a break from the boring lectures, to actually interact with someone and have dialogue- that’s what I loved best about Moneythink"
- Nnaji Iwunze
Moneythink Graduate
OUR APPROACH
Moneythink UChicago
OUR APPROACH
In the classroom, we combine technology with the personal touch of near-peer mentorship
Mentorship
Each student is assigned a mentor who works with them individually, providing support and guidance inside and outside of the classroom.
We maintain a 5:1 student to mentor ratio so that each student gets the attention they deserve.
Working with our students in a near-peer mentorship format allows our mentors to connect with our students to have a high impact and cultivate meaningful relationships in which students look up to mentors, ask them important questions about their financial concerns, and become financially capable young adults.
Moneythink UChicago
OUR TEAM
Moneythink UChicago
LEADERSHIP
WHO WE ARE
Our Incredible Leadership
Mandy Liu
President
Mandy is a third-year studying Economics and Sociology. She joined Moneythink in the fall of her first year as she wanted to continue helping and mentoring others in a more hands-on and practical way. Outside of Moneythink, she is also the Director of Consulting Education for TAMID. In her spare time, she enjoys diversifying her music preferences, solving NYT crosswords, and playing intramural volleyball and softball.
Ivy Wang
President
Ivy is a third-year studying Economics. She joined Moneythink the fall of her first year and has loved mentoring students and connecting with the broader Chicago community. Outside of Moneythink, she is a member of Phoenix Development Fund and works as a communications assistant at IFK. She also enjoys watching Formula 1, playing violin, and exploring restaurants around Chicago.
Veda Swaminathan
Director of Internal Operations
Veda is a second year studying Economics and Public Policy. She joined Moneythink the fall of her first year to continue working with high school students on developing important life skills and because she wanted to contribute to the Chicago community in a positive way. Outside Moneythink, Veda is involved all over UChicago’s campus, working as as tour guide in the admissions office and participating in other clubs like Model UN, Women in Business, and the Undergraduate Investment Banking Group. Veda enjoys knitting, painting, watching silly sitcoms, reading, and hanging out with her friends!
Shashank Beri
Director of Outreach
Shashank is a third-year studying Statistics and Economics. He joined MoneyThink in the Spring of his first year, as he wanted to continue to volunteering in his community and has truly enjoyed being involved with the Southside Chicago community. Outside of MoneyThink, he is a member of GothamChi and a photographer for Bite Magazine. He also enjoys playing basketball and golf, cooking, and photography.
Hudson Beaudoin
Director of Technology
Hudson Beaudoin is a second year studying Economics and Psychology. He joined MoneyThink in the spring of his first year to continue building on his mentorship background in high school and to get more involved in the Southside community. Outside of MoneyThink, he is a member of TAMID, Intercollegiate Finance Journal, and UIBG. Hudson enjoys playing tennis, chess, watching football, and spending time with friends.
Joyce Huang
Director of Finance
Joyce is a third-year studying Economics with a Specialization in Business and French. Throughout high school, she mentored students from Boston Public Schools, so she joined Moneythink in the fall of her second year to continue mentoring students and supporting public school systems. On campus, she is also a member of the UChicago Real Estate Investment Group. She also enjoys trying new restaurants, reading, and biking.
Jess Yu
Director of Curriculum
Jess is a second year majoring in Economics and Music. She joined MoneyThink in the spring of her first year because she wanted to connect and help the broader Chicago community. Outside of MoneyThink, she is part of Promontory Investment Research and the Piano Program. She enjoys exploring the city and trying new foods.
Keith Leight
Director of Curriculum
Keith is a second year studying Data Science and Art History. He joined Moneythink in the fall of his first year to continue his passion for teaching financial literacy. In high school, Keith created and taught a financial literacy curriculum for Breakthrough Miami, a non-profit providing after-school enrichment for under-resourced students. Outside of Moneythink, he is a member of Financial Markets. Keith enjoys going to the gym, watching basketball and football, and hanging out with friends.
Andrei Leonov
Director of Engagement
Andrei is a third-year student studying economics with a specialization in data science. He joined Moneythink in the Fall of his second year to take advantage of the unique opportunity to teach students valuable lessons in financial literacy that are applicable for the rest of their lives. Outside of Moneythink, Andrei is on the tennis team and also enjoys playing basketball, going fishing, watching thrillers, and watching sports.
Fall 2024 Mentors
Jack Wells
Brett Suazo
Nick Lorr
John Walentowicz
Nathalie Lelogeais
Taran Ramchandani
Jessica Yu
Veda Swaminathan
Yoav Rosenthal
Aryan Satiya
Juan Pablo Altamirano
Andrei Leonov
Caelin Bradshaw
Carola Vaqueiro Espinosa
Casey Kemp
Clyde Applegate
Daniel de Beer
Daniel Maresca
Elizabeth Fitzgerald
Ethan Waggoner
Hudson Beaudoin
Ivy Wang
Jennifer Hu
Alex Liakeas
Cameron Jasper
Emma Krylov
Jillian Robertson
Joyce Huang
Kate Kim
Keith Leight
Mandy Liu
Kiefer Wood
Mia Nathan
Langley Beaudoin
Liam Matney
Lila di Florio
Lucia Scarlett Brunton-Dardaris
Marco Parisse
Matthew Kim
Matthew Liew
Max Chasin
Mia Sanders
Nelson Ramos- Ruballos
NouNou Chang
Rhea Shah
Teddy Robinson
Ximena Valverde
JOIN THE TEAM
Key Dates:
Info Session: Tuesday 10/8, 7:30pm at Stuart 105
Meet the Mentors: Thursday, 10/10 at 6pm in the Quad
Application Closes: Sunday, 10/13 at 5pm
CONNECT
Please feel free to reach out with any questions!
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© 2019