You read NGPF blog posts if you have an uncommon passion for financial literacy, and that gives us something in common. Our classroom experiences and bonds with our students have a heavy hand in shaping who we are and how we see the world. As teachers, we will always see the world through a different lens than others, in a way that fuels our undying passion to empower students with a survival skill of our time -- financial capability. 

I think all of us have had a life outside of the classroom that has uniquely shaped our drive and determination. Mine were parents who sacrificed their own quality of life to position me in my adult life for success. They modeled and demanded personal responsibility, and protected us from the perniciousness of tragedies that folks pray to never face but we did. 

I spent my 15-year teaching career in a Title I school full of great kids with varying challenges, and some of which were victims of the inequities of opportunity salient to personal finance teachers. Such inequities largely drive me to be my best for them, and now, be my best for these students through teachers. 

Years ago, a student of mine was being interviewed by PBS and was asked how the personal finance class she was taking was impacting her life, and she said that she was taking what she was learning back home to help her mother avoid bankruptcy. Years later that same student graduated almost debt-free from college. It wasn’t until this moment that I realized how much influence we have over the financial lives of the families we serve. We now know through research that personal finance lessons trickle up to parents, something most of us have seen with our own eyes.

As personal finance teachers, the role in our own village changes the lives of entire families. And that’s what excites me the most about NGPF. We are a team dedicated to having the backs of teachers who empower countless villages across the country. I am proud to be on this team. I promise to do all in my power to be a great teammate for my colleagues and work with them to be our best for you.

About the Author

Brian Page

Making a difference in the lives of students through financial capability is Brian’s greatest passion. He comes to NGPF after fifteen years of public school teaching where he was the ‘11 Ohio Department of Education recipient of a Milken National Educator Award, the CEE Forbes Award winner, and a Money Magazine/CNN "Money Hero". He served on the working group for President Obama's Advisory Council on Financial Capability. He has private school experience as a Trustee for the Cincinnati Country Day School and was a past Ohio Jump$tart President. Brian holds a BBA and M.Ed. When Brian isn’t working alongside his NGPF teammates he is likely spending time with his wife, three children, and dog; hiking, or watching Ohio State football.