LARRY JIA
UNITED STATES, 15
PROJECT: MONEY MATTERS TO STUDENTS
BASIC HUMAN NEEDS: EDUCATION
Lawrence was devastated as he comforted his friend who had just lost his home due to foreclosure. After researching the topic, he found that financial literacy was directly correlated to less crime and divorce, and greater emotional and mental stability, salary and personal fulfillment. Lawrence founded Money Matters to Students (MMTS) to teach and promote financial education worldwide. MMTS’s summits, weekly workshops, after school programs, online lectures and international mission trips use proven curricula to educate young people on personal finance. Each MMTS chapter works directly with hundreds of students weekly, and as they rapidly expand, their workshops alone will engage more than 5,000 by the end of the year. To prepare students for their academic career, MMTS leads an initiative to teach high school freshmen about college affordability, student loans and other finance-related topics, in addition to providing scholarships to those who cannot afford a higher education.