Kicking Off Financial Literacy at Costa Mesa High School

We had an exciting start to the school year at Costa Mesa High School, where our team partnered with Lester Baron and his crew to launch a brand-new financial literacy program for students. On Thursday, September 12th, we kicked off the first of nine monthly workshops that run through next May, for AVID students (Advancement Via Individual Determination), with a focus on helping them develop the money management skills they’ll need to succeed in life.

Why is this so important? Because most students never really learn how to handle money in school. In fact, 88% of U.S. adults said high school didn’t prepare them for managing their finances in the real world. The result? 72% of adults believe they’d be in a better financial position today if they had taken a personal finance class in high school. Only 17% of U.S. adults took a high school personal finance class.

Knowing how to budget, save, and invest is essential for navigating life after high school, whether they’re heading to college or starting their careers. Without these skills, young adults are more likely to fall into debt or make decisions that hold them back financially. That’s why we’re so committed to this program—it’s about giving students the tools they need to take control of their futures.

How do you get high schoolers excited about budgeting?

We started with some fun trivia questions to break the ice—and it worked! The students were eager to jump in. The topic of the day was Budgeting 101, and Lester did an incredible job explaining how to manage money in a way that was fun and easy to understand. We covered everything from basic budgeting to saving and investing, and the students were all in, asking great questions and really engaging with the material.

But this is just the beginning. We’ll be back each month through May, helping these students build on what they’re learning so they can take control of their financial futures. This program is about more than just money—it’s about empowering these students with the confidence they need to make smart decisions throughout their lives. If they can start practicing these habits now, they’ll be better equipped to handle the challenges that come their way.

We had some familiar faces there, too. Tess Bermudez and Karina Fletes—our Nuvision Heroes for this month—were there helping out. They’ve always been passionate about giving back, and it really showed. Tess talked about how important it is to teach these students money skills because they aren’t getting this education anywhere else. Karina added that helping them feel comfortable talking about money is key. Having them there made a big difference. It’s not just about teaching the material, it’s about making it connect with the students, and Tess and Karina really know how to do that.

This month, we also hosted our 2^nd Beyond High School Resource Fair for local students at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Teens and their parents were able to engage with over 25 local organizations and businesses,  learn about different career paths, and hear tips to prepare for college.

A Financial Tips for Teens workshop was presented by Nuvision and Junior Achievement of Alaska teaching the foundations of budgeting, savings, credit, and investing. Students also were able to hear from NFL greats John Randle, Tommy Kramer, Carl Lee, and Henry Thomas who spoke about setting goals to prepare yourself for success in the future. One student said, ““I have not thought about my financial goals before, this event helped me realize how important it is to know what to do financially to be successful later in life.”  

These two programs are just some of the many ways we’re working to support financial literacy in our community. If you’re looking to sharpen your own financial skills, don’t miss out on Nuvision Insights, our upcoming webinar where you can learn about managing debt, building credit, and more. It’s a great way to take charge of your financial health—just like these students are doing!

We’re excited to see what the rest of the school year brings and can’t wait to continue building these important skills with the students. Stay tuned for more updates as we keep moving forward!