Author: Tammy Lane • First Posted: Monday, September 26, 2011

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Summer Gortney, an outreach counselor with the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA), leads a financial literacy program for high school students.

• Channel 13's video on demand 

State Treasurer Todd Hollenbach drove home a straightforward message for students at Eastside Technical Center: “There’s nothing more important than the decisions you make in how to handle your money.”

That point was clear in the hour-long “It’s Money, Baby” presentation sponsored by the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA). The program touched on such areas as distinguishing between needs and wants, choosing the right bank and realizing how one’s level of schooling affects lifetime earnings.

“The more education you have, the more money you’ll make and the less likely you’ll be unemployed,” outreach counselor Summer Gortney reiterated.

Identity theft was another key topic; it has become a more pressing issue in today’s world of social networking and sharing of personal information online.

“You need to pay attention to what you put out there and who your friends are,” Gortney told the group of seniors and a few juniors. 

She also urged them to use credit cards sparingly and take note upfront of the interest rates and fees, saying, “Your credit history is your livelihood as far as your financial freedom.”

Pascal Bartilow, a senior at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, agreed that teens should use caution when heading out into the real world – whether to college or to work.

“It’s easy to get into a hole but hard to get out of it,” he said. “It’s really not any fun.”

Classmate Austin Adkins agreed, noting how he’s learned a lot from his parents about managing his money.

“We talk about it quite often because they don’t want me to fall into a pit,” he said after the program.

Hollenbach, whose office has rallied behind the KHEAA financial literacy initiative, also warned the students of slippery slopes such as using payday lenders.

“More kids drop out of college today because of excessive debt loads,” he noted. “While there are more opportunities than ever, there are also more pitfalls.”

The treasurer encouraged the teens to appreciate the importance of making, saving, investing and spending money wisely to ensure their peace of mind and financial security.

“There are people willing to help you,” he said.

KHEAA, the state agency that administers financial aid for post-secondary education, is one reliable resource.

“I don’t think the kids realize what they’re stepping into when they go to college. You turn 18 and you’re hit with student loans and credit applications. Borrowing responsibly is huge,” Gortney said. “Part of our mission is that students go to college and stay in college.”

Did you know?

A districtwide financial literacy initiative grew out of the 2020 Vision project, which developed a blueprint for world-class public schools in Fayette County. Among the helpful community partners are Junior Achievement of the Bluegrass, which developed a districtwide curriculum; the Fayette County Bar Association, which teaches the basics of consumer credit and money management through a national initiative called CARE (Credit Abuse Resistance Education); and the Lexington-Bluegrass Association of Realtors, which offers a series called Building Your Bucks.

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