David Polk knows a few things about Milwaukee's
education system. Born and raised here, he graduated from MPS schools,
completed a plumbing apprenticeship program through MATC and is currently
enrolled in college to finish a business degree. He's well aware of what
students in the city face in terms of education and life experiences, and he's
volunteered with them in the past to pass along some of his knowledge.
So when a Make A Difference e-mail looking for
volunteers landed in his inbox, he knew it could be another opportunity to
help.
David doesn't have much of a teaching background,
although he's worked with young people in the past. But that hasn't stopped him
from having an impact on the students with whom he shares the MAD financial
literacy program. By teaching with a good friend from work, David found that
they're able to bounce ideas off each other and better connect with the students.
Both David and his partner are fathers; however, their ages and life
experiences represent a wide spectrum of life that lends credibility to their
lessons.
"I didn't expect the reception that we got. I
didn't expect the students to be so engaged with what we were talking about. It
caught me off guard."
Because of the program's dynamic nature, David finds
that the material essentially teaches itself. Once he became comfortable
talking to students in their own terms, it became even easier. "There are
things that you pick up on. It becomes easier to engage the students. Once a
volunteer goes through the slides, anyone can do it if they just have an amount
of character to bring to the presentation."
David continually aspires to bring the material down
to the students' level. By putting personal finances in their perspective,
David finds it easier to help them understand the concepts. "A 16, 17 or
18 - year old will understand, 'Do I go to McDonalds today, or do I put the
money away and eat a sandwich at home?'"
Learning concepts as simple as lunch choices can
translate into much bigger choices later on in life, like buying a luxury car
or putting money aside and purchasing something more affordable.
"The program plants the seed in young people
that hopefully helps guide their behavior as they become adults."
After several sessions, David starting noticing how
eager the students are for this type of education. Most financial education
comes through their parents, if at all. The need for this knowledge touched
him, seeing the students wanting to know more about what they can do with their
money and how to handle bigger choices later on in life.
David's passion grew. "I've seen students
outside of the classroom at the mall or at the gas station. They recognize me
and I've asked them how they're doing with their money or job search. They
remember what I said in their classroom; that's what brings me joy."
David found that the easiest way to make the
classroom experiences enjoyable for the students as well as himself is to
simply be open-minded. The students are going through life challenges that
every volunteer has also passed. With that in mind, David knows he can share
valuable lessons.
"The more things change, the more they stay the
same. The kids are interested in clothes or cars, just like you were at that
age. Think of that when you talk to them about responsibly attaining their
financial goals."
David has a full-time job, a family at home, and is
currently in college to finish a business degree. To him, his time is exactly
that, just time. He knows that if he wasn't volunteering, he would still be
filling his time with something else. But, he also knows that something else
may not give the same rewarding feeling he gets from volunteering.
"If I have even one student say something to me
about the value they got from the course, it makes every lecture
worth it."
