Can you tell us a little about yourself and your background? My name is Sheena Williams. I graduated with a MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management in 2010. My professional experience began in Accounting 9 years ago as I excel in Mathematics and Finances. My personal life revolves around spirituality, family, friends, and inevitable greatness.
What is SheWill, Inc.? SheWill, Inc. is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization
dedicated to educating young girls, ages 8-17, on the importance of financial
literacy and career empowerment. We use
research-based literature in our interactive sessions to teach both fundamental
and in-depth financial responsibilities.
We have programs that teach saving, giving, budgeting, credit, credit
reports, comparison shopping, investing, workforce readiness and career preparedness
skills, as well as a plethora of other necessary life skills.
What inspired you to start SheWill, Inc.? I was personally affected by the economic
recession. Being laid-off from 3 jobs in
2 years really places a strong emphasis on the importance of financial
management skills. I realized I had not
been educated on taking the proper precautions when dealing with drastic
changes in your finances. Statistics
show 2 out of 3 women ages 18-35 feel they do not have enough financial
education. I wanted to change this
statistic and help young girls avoid some of the financial mistakes I made. Irresponsible financial decisions could
potentially paralyze a young girl’s future.
If they receive the necessary education early on, they will fully
equipped to take on financial responsibilities.
What successes have you seen with the girls that have been
through the SheWill program? Just the satisfaction in knowing they are interested and
eager to learn. The material we created
is fun and interactive so they are excited to participate. Being able to deliver life changing programs
that excite our audience is one of our greatest accomplishments. The look on a
girls face when she is able to explain to her parents why budgeting and
preparing for income changes affects the entire family is nothing shy of
amazing. I’m honored and proud because I
know our programs are effective.
How did your parents teach you about financial management? My father
practices excellent financial management skills. He’s an extreme saver and leads by
demonstration. Since I was a young girl
my Dad always emphasized the importance of money management. It impacted my life and I learned, through
error, how important it is. My mother
lives a life of philanthropy and service.
Often times, people don’t understand the importance of philanthropic
work and the impact it has on our futures.
I learned that “giving” is a lifestyle and ultimately plays a part in my
purpose of sheer existence.
What financial skills do you think are lacking in today’s
youth? I am
a firm believer in delayed gratification.
Young girls are enticed by glamour and trends. If they understood the benefits of comparison
shopping and budgeting they will be less susceptible to spending on fads and
making unnecessary purchases.
Where do you see She Will in five years? 20 years? In five years we will have exposure to young
girls nationwide. Our programs will be
implemented in public and private schools throughout the United States. In 20 years we want to be a household name
like Girls Scouts and Pepsi. The
government, education systems, and general public will make provisions for the
implementation of financial education for everyone in hopes of empowering the
future generation to become financially responsible.
How can readers get more information about SheWill? Our website www.shewill.org,
follow us on twitter @SheWill_Inc , like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/shewillinc
Great article! Wish I had this type program in my school when I was younger. Love it!!!!
ReplyDeleteWe must expect, 20 or more years down the line, women to be taking the lead in managing finance and business. They can't do much worse than Hank Paulson and Fred Goodwin after all! Well not for the rest of us anyway - they will hopefully be more ethical than those criminals.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like an awesome program; I wish it was around when I was younger. :-)
ReplyDeleteSheWill has grand ambitions. I wish her the best in implementing them!
ReplyDelete