Nov 15, 2019

NGPF Podcast: Greg Carson - the personal finance teacher who made a difference in the life of a pro football player

 

  • "I'd rather live like a prince for the rest of my life than live like a king for my NFL career."
  • “I’m going to sacrifice now for me to be happy later,’’
  • 'Williams estimates he invests at least 90 percent of the money that comes in via game checks."

These are statements that you would not expect to hear from a professional athlete but that's exactly what New England Patriot Joejuan Williams had to say in a recent article. 

How did he build these mindsets about money? That's where Greg Carson, a personal finance teacher at Father Ryan High School (Nashville, TN), comes in. According to Williams, Carson's class "completely changed my life." In this NGPF podcast, Greg will share the philosophy behind his class, his favorite activities with his students and what he remembers about Joejuan as a student in his class. Enjoy!

Details:

  • 0:00~1:39 Introduction
  • 1:39~2:16 Greg’s life as a teacher
  • 2:16~3:45 Early money lessons 
  • 3:45~5:29 Motivation for starting a personal finance class
  • 5:29~6:41 The classroom “family” system 
  • 6:41~8:56 Teaching the "Rule of 72"
  • 8:56~10:14 Father Ryan High School and its community 
  • 10:14~11:38 Planning a vacation activity 
  • 11:38~11:58 A word from NGPF
  • 11:58~13:58 Planning a vacation activity, continued 
  • 13:58~15:29 Having Joejuan Williams in class 
  • 15:29~16:22 Williams and his financial habits 
  • 16:22~17:40 Williams on the football field 
  • 17:40~18:49 Words of encouragement for other teachers
  • 18:49~20:30 Making personal finance a requirement in all schools 
  • 20:30~21:28 Conclusion 

Quote:

  • “It's good to see that these young people can see how important it is to plan. It’s one thing they don’t have to do when it comes to vacations, normally their parents do all of the planning, and this way they have to.”

  • “Joejuan saying that my class was life-changing meant a lot to me. Teachers every now and then hear that you changed a life and that makes a big difference in your attitude.”

 

 

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About the Authors

Tim Ranzetta

Tim's saving habits started at seven when a neighbor with a broken hip gave him a dog walking job. Her recovery, which took almost a year, resulted in Tim getting to know the bank tellers quite well (and accumulating a savings account balance of over $300!). His recent entrepreneurial adventures have included driving a shredding truck, analyzing executive compensation packages for Fortune 500 companies and helping families make better college financing decisions. After volunteering in 2010 to create and teach a personal finance program at Eastside College Prep in East Palo Alto, Tim saw firsthand the impact of an engaging and activity-based curriculum, which inspired him to start a new non-profit, Next Gen Personal Finance.

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Ren Makino

Ren started interning at NGPF in 2014, and worked part-time through high school and college. With his knowledge growing alongside NGPF, he joined the team to work full-time after graduating from college in 2020. He is also the producer of the NGPF podcast. During his free time, he likes to try out coffees from different roasters across the world.

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