Middleton High School juniors Sophia Chen and Sophia Pientka are teaching middle school students about financial literacy through their Finance for Life program.
Chen and Pientka developed the youth financial literacy initiative this summer, hosting workshops online and at the Middleton Public Library. This semester they began teaching Kromrey Middle School and Glacier Creek Middle School students how to create budgets, make smart spending choices, and see how compound interest helps money grow over time.
They’re aiming to teach their classes monthly with the goal of helping students build financial literacy skills early and feel confident managing money.
“So far, we’ve visited both MCPASD middle schools, and we hope to expand to other schools in the District throughout the year,” Chen said. “We’re excited to continue expanding and hope to reach as many communities as possible.”
Chen and Pientka are members of Middleton High School’s chapter of the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). Though they started Finance for Life on their own after recognizing a need for a stronger personal finance understanding among their peers, it’s now their FBLA chapter’s official community service project.
“Through FBLA, we have been able to connect financial education to leadership, entrepreneurship, and community service,” Pientka said. “It has helped us turn what we are learning in FBLA about business, communication, and teamwork into something that makes a real difference in our community.”
Middleton High School teacher and FLBA advisor Bill Boehm said their work embodies the FBLA mission to inspire and prepare students to become community-minded business leaders in a global society through relevant career preparation and leadership experiences.
“It shows how students can take their classroom learning and leadership training to solve a critical issue,” Boehm said. “Seeing Sophia Chen and Sophia Pientka launch Finance for Life demonstrates their real-world impact and their drive to apply business education for the greater good.”
Chen likes connecting what she’s learning in FBLA with their goals for Finance for Life.
“It’s been really cool to see how what we learn in FBLA actually connects to something we’re passionate about,” she said.
She and Pientka want to show students that finance isn’t boring and that they need financial skills for everyday life.
“Whether it is understanding saving, spending, or setting goals, these lessons give them tools to make smarter choices as they get older,” Pientka said. “Our goal is to make finance approachable, practical, and empowering.”
Chen said that the earlier students are comfortable with finance, the better.
“The earlier you learn how money works, the better prepared you’ll be to make smart choices later on,” Chen said. “Once you start to understand it, you realize how useful it is and how much power it gives you to take control of your future.”
She said they use interactive financial literacy games to keep the class fun.
“You can see their energy shift once they understand that it’s not going to be another typical class,” Chen said.
Pientka likes seeing students’ excitement when they grasp how finance is connected to their lives.
“They often tell us stories about how they tried budgeting at home or taught their siblings something they learned in class,” Pientka said. “It is really cool to see that what we are teaching sticks and that they are proud of what they learned. Seeing students have those ‘aha’ moments makes it all worth it.”
Boehm noted that in addition to connecting with students on financial literacy, Chen and Pientka are learning the importance of giving back.
“It's essential for building character and leadership,” Boehm said. “When students give back, they connect their academic knowledge to the community, gaining perspective and developing a sense of responsibility.”