Guest Blogger Arin Wani
In this special guest blog, Sammy Rabbit is proud to showcase teen financial literacy education champion Arin Wani!
Arin is a junior at Great Valley High School in Malvern, PA, and shares the following:
"I am interested in finance and business. I have a strong passion for financial literacy, and aim to help make kids all around the world become financially literate! Outside of school, I enjoy kickboxing, lifting, and table tennis."
Daring to Live the Dream
Get good grades, go to a good college, land a secure job, work for 40 years, and retire. It’s a mindset and life strategy that worked well enough for many in the past. But as a young student today, you need to ask yourself two important questions: Does this path still work? And more importantly, even if it does, is it truly the life you want, or do you dream of and desire something different?
If you envision a different life, the next question is: how do you plan for it and work toward achieving it?
Dad Plants the Seeds
This isn’t something you're likely to be taught in school. I’ve been fortunate in this regard. From an early age, my parents instilled in me the belief that I should aim high and invest my time and energy toward achieving my goals—one of which is financial freedom. My dad has emphasized this to me for as long as I can remember. Whether we were in the car, at the dinner table, or watching TV, he would always find a way to bring up the importance of becoming financially free. He would say, 'Financial freedom is the ability to control your time and money. It allows you to live on your own terms, without relying on the typical nine-to-five job.'
The true importance of financial freedom started to make more sense to me as I began studying the world around me. Learning that 66% of Americans live paycheck to paycheck made it much easier to absorb the lesson.
By the time I was in 8th grade, I had a deeper understanding of what financial freedom meant. Despite listening to my dad’s podcasts and audiobooks for years, I still had no idea how to actually achieve it. One major issue for a young person was that these podcasts and audiobooks were BORING, so nothing really stuck. My dad noticed this and decided to take action. For my 13th birthday, he bought me a financial education board game called Cashflow. At the time, I really disliked the gift, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Cashflow is a board game designed to change how you think about money. It teaches players about money management, investing, and financial freedom in a fun and engaging way. After playing it for hours on end, I learned far more than just basic personal finance concepts. I gained an understanding of passive income, fundamental investing skills, cash flow management, entrepreneurship, opportunity recognition, and long-term financial planning.
A Personal Plan and Powerhouse Point
By the time I entered 10th grade, I had clear goals aligned with my values and priorities. I had outlined a broad blueprint for my life, including how I plan to achieve financial freedom.
With the right mindset, knowledge, guidance, and work ethic, I believe anything is achievable—including creating the life you dare to dream of. That’s something I think every student should know and be taught.
Discover more about our featured Guest Blogger
To learn more about Danny, connect with him on LinkedIn: Arin Wani.
Attention Young Leaders
We welcome and invite you to participate in Sammy's 'Be the Change' financial literacy initiative for college and high school students.
(1) Join peers advancing awareness on the importance of early age, youth, and family financial education by having your journey into financial literacy featured as a Sammy Rabbit Guest Blogger.
Arin Wani: Teen Leader Was Encouraged to Aim High!
Jacklin Wang: Becoming Financially Literate Since Age 9
Index of Student Blogs (Click and scroll down)
(2) Then volunteer as a Sammy Rabbit Ambassador or Intern championing financial literacy in your community and around the globe! Learn more in these blogs or by CONTACTING Team Sammy today! We welcome your questions and suggestions on Sammy Rabbit and his mission to get kids, families & communities financially literate.
