Young entrepreneur believes understanding personal finance is critical to success!

January 14th, 2025 by Team Sammy

Guest Blogger Aaliyah Kissick

In this special guest blog, Sammy Rabbit is proud to showcase the journey, lessons learned and aspirations of Aaliyah Kissick.

Aaliyah is an entrepreneur, financial literacy advocate & founder of the nonprofit Financial Literacy Diaries, and Gies Ambassador/Master of Science in Management student at Gies College of Business. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Ag. & Consumer Economics focused in Financial Planning from UIUC in 2023. As an undergraduate, Aaliyah was a Phi Theta Kappa National Honor Society member, interned for financial professionals in Springfield, Illinois, and served in the Illinois Army National Guard as a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Soldier.

Aaliyah enjoys spending quality time with her husband, acting, and reading books in her free time.

How I Became Involved with Financial Literacy

It all started when I was 17. During the summer between my junior and senior years of high school, I found myself bored in my small hometown of 2,000 people. While it’s a wonderful place to live, there wasn’t much for teenage girls to do during the day. Driven by my love for thrifting and fashion—and the desire for a project to call my own—I decided to start a business: AK Boutique. With just $50 saved over a few years from birthdays, I took the first step toward entrepreneurship.

What began as a small garage operation quickly grew into pop-up shops and eventually brick-and-mortar stores. As I honed my business skills, I realized that understanding personal finance was just as critical to success as my entrepreneurial creativity. Running a boutique gave me firsthand experience with the power of financial literacy and its role in achieving my goals. Inspired by this realization and my progress, I pursued further education in finance through a college program tailored to my interests.

In 2023, I had the honor of representing my state as Miss Illinois United States. Through this platform, I expanded my passion for financial literacy into a broader mission: making financial education accessible to everyone. This mission culminated in the creation of The Financial Literacy Diaries, where I combined my entrepreneurial experience with my commitment to education. Through this initiative, I’ve developed resources and programs to empower individuals and families to take control of their financial futures.

Top 3 Lessons I Love Teaching to Parents and Students

1. The Power of Saving Early

By starting early and understanding the fundamentals of personal finance—including harnessing the power of compound interest—anyone can take control of their financial journey. Through my role at the Financial Literacy Diaries, I aim to make these lessons more accessible and approachable.

Saving even small amounts at a young age can have a big impact over time. By introducing the concept of “pay yourself first,” kids can learn to set aside a portion of their allowance, birthday money, or earnings for future goals. Using fun visuals and interactive tools, like filling a piggy bank or tracking savings with stickers, helps children see their progress and learn that saving is rewarding.

Teaching kids how compound interest can make savings grow, showing them that the earlier they start, the more their money can work for them further amplifies the lesson. If I didn't set aside birthday money, I would not have been able to start my first business!

2. Needs vs. Wants

Understanding the difference between needs—essentials like food and clothing—and wants—things we’d like but don’t necessarily need—is a foundational financial skill. Teach young students to evaluate their spending decisions by asking questions like, “Is this something I need right now?” or “Can I wait and save for it?”

You can make this lesson fun and interactive by turning it into a game where children categorize household expenses or items on their wish lists. This activity not only encourages thoughtful spending but also helps kids build strong money habits early on.

While this skill may seem simple, it’s surprising how quickly wants can start to feel like needs, especially when scrolling through social media and dealing with the “fear of missing out” (FOMO).

3. Earning and Responsibility

Introduce children to the concept of earning money through chores, small tasks, or entrepreneurial projects like selling crafts or running a lemonade stand. This approach helps them understand the value of hard work and that money is earned, not simply given.

Pair this lesson with goal setting by encouraging kids to identify what they want to save for or buy. Guide them in creating a simple budget to allocate their earnings toward these goals. This practice fosters responsibility and highlights the connection between effort, planning, and rewards.

Final Thoughts

Having the opportunity to educate students, parents, and teachers about the importance of financial literacy is an incredible honor. Financial Literacy transformed my life and knowing that parents and teachers can change the lives of their children or students inspires and empowers me to continue to advocate for financial literacy every day.

Discover more about our featured Guest Blogger

To learn more about Aaliyah, connect with her on LinkedIn: Aaliyah Kissick.

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.