Each year, NGPF Fellows have the option to award a Personal Finance Student of the Year Award to a student who has demonstrated outstanding contributions in their personal finance class during the school year. We're showcasing new winners each Wednesday, Thursday and Friday here on the blog throughout the summer.

Students are selected based on the following criteria:

• Student has taken a personal finance class in the 2019-2020 school year that was taught by the NGPF Fellow who nominated them
• Student demonstrated outstanding performance in the class based on participation/academic excellence/passion for the subject matter

Congratulations this Friday go to:

 - - - - -

Student: Delanie O’Hare

Teacher: Joey Running

School: West Albany High School (Albany, OR)

- - - - - 

“The value of a personal finance class is that every student - with prior knowledge or not - will learn crucial skills that will keep them on their feet and provide “real” world scenarios. To delve into some examples, the courses covered a wide variety of topics: from investing, saving, compound interest versus simple interest, the importance of good credit, to budgeting; these imperative topics were reinstated until the pulchritudinous awareness of money managing and personal finance shone through for every pupil. Not to mention, each and every personal finance class has a value beyond their lessons, for each class works toward financial literacy in a sense; every student should be able to read through real-life scenarios with ease when given the right instructions from the right instructors. 

       As a result of this personal finance class, I have opened up a checking account, got a debit card, split up my paychecks so 20% will filter to my personal needs, and opened my own personal 401(k). This personal finance class has truly opened my eyes to the opportunities I have when it comes to my money. I can now be trusted to make smart decisions and pass on my knowledge to friends, family, and peers. Personally, I cannot choose one action off the top of my head that has resulted from this personal finance class because there are so many options, but more than anything, this class has lended a helping hand for making independent choices to live my most finance-fulfilled life.”

-Delanie O’Hare

About the Author

Yanely Espinal

Born and raised by Dominican, immigrant parents in Brooklyn, Yanely is a proud product of NYC public schools. She graduated from Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School in 2007 before going on to receive her bachelor's degree at Brown University in 2011. As a Teach For America corps member, Yanely taught third and fourth grade in Canarsie, Brooklyn. She received her master's degree from Relay Graduate School of Education in 2013. She spends her spare time making YouTube videos about personal finance on her channel, MissBeHelpful. Yanely also loves to dance, sew, paint, listen to podcasts, and babysit her 10 nieces and nephews!