May 30, 2025 • 28 mins
Meet Nia Adams, a first-gen student turned financial mentor. In our latest First Gen 101 episode, Nia openly discusses her path from uncertainty to financial empowerment, offering listeners practical strategies to conquer money challenges and pursue higher education. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to transform their financial habits and gain confidence in their decisions. Catch the episode to change your perspective and your future! 🎙️
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Miguel Sanchez (00:10):
Welcome to First Gen 1 0 1, the podcast
where first generation graduatesshare their stories and career
tips.
I am your host, Miguel Sanchez.
In this episode, Nia Adamsshares our powerful journey from
being a first gen student tofinancial mentor, helping others
overcome money, mistakes, andbuild wealth with confidence.
(00:32):
Do not miss out on thisopportunity to learn from
someone.
Who truly embodies perseveranceand growth.
welcome to another episode ofthe First Gen 101 podcast.
Today we have Nia Adams who'sgoing to share her story and
advice with us.
Nia, thank you for being heretoday.
Nia - @moneyperspectives (00:53):
Thank you for having me.
Miguel Sanchez (00:56):
So Nia, I want to get right into it because I
know you have a lot to sharewith us today from your
experience to some of the workthat you do to help not only
first gen students but alsoTopics that relate to personal
finance.
We were just talking about thisbefore we started how personal
(01:17):
finance goes hand in hand withhow first generation students
make decisions, whether it'sabout their careers or
education.
So, but before we go into that,tell us about your background.
Tell us about where you grow upand how was going to college for
Nia - @moneyperspectives (01:35):
So I grew up, I'm from Chicago, and I
grew up on the west side ofChicago.
So the neighborhood that I grewup in, I would say
statistically, I was probablynot supposed to be successful.
Um, it was a lot of violence.
Um, we had some programming andcommunity resources, but a lot
of them got removed.
(01:56):
And so it, It just wasn't athriving neighborhood.
It was almost a food desert, um,a lot of gang activity and
different things like that justto kind of try to paint the
picture.
Um, I am the third child ofthree.
Uh, My mom had me well my momand dad were about 17, 18 when
(02:17):
they had me, and I was the thirdchild, and they split shortly
after.
So, just Again, painting thepicture, single mother, three
children, barely just got outtahigh school.
And so, financially, we justdidn't have it.
You know, we struggled.
I experienced food scarcity.
(02:40):
We, I experienced having to eatthe same meal so many times
because that's just was the mosteconomical option for us.
And it shifted and shaped me tothe point where I didn't really
learn much about personalfinance.
My mom or dad didn't go tocollege.
Um, both of them went to highschool, but my mom didn't
(03:00):
graduate high school.
She ended up getting a GED.
So this, when it came to jobs,of course it limited her options
and what jobs she could have andwhat jobs she could work.
And so for me growing up, it wasjust kind of like, for one, I
was the third child.
So a lot of my things were kindof like hand me downs, And it
(03:23):
just, to me, it shaped theexperience for me because it was
like, this is what I know to me.
That was normal to me.
That's what it was supposed tobe because that's what I
experienced.
And so got older.
I navigated my finances, on myown bumping my head up and down
the road, as I say, a lot oftimes.
And so my college experienceagain, was, un, It was, I would
(03:46):
say it was not a traditionalcollege experience either,
because one, I don't havesomebody to ask any questions,
to ask about their experience,or ask them for guidance.
learn from their mistakes, even,you know, so it's kind of like
you creating the mold yourself.
And on top of that, I had adaughter at 17.
(04:07):
So six days before I graduatedhigh school, I had a child.
So for college, for me, it was amarathon.
It took probably about, it tookme 16 years to complete my
college education, because sinceI had a child, I had to stop and
(04:28):
start because College had tocome second.
My first priority was having anincome to be able to provide for
my So to me, it was a, arollercoaster, essentially.
Like, I don't have anybody toask for guidance.
I don't have anybody to, like,look for tips and tricks or
anything like that.
(04:48):
And on top of that, I now haveto navigate college while having
a full-time job while raising achild.
Miguel Sanchez (04:56):
some of the things that come to mind as
you're as you mentioned in yourexperience was a lot of
uncertainty sounds
Nia - @moneyperspectives (05:03):
yes,
Miguel Sanchez (05:04):
time you were growing up in your community and
then thereafter.
So talk to me about yourcommunity.
Was it typical for someone to goto college in your community?
How did the people around highschool think about college?
Was it an aspiration?
Was it something that was justfar removed?
How did that look like for youin your
Nia - @moneyperspectives (05:28):
So when I was younger, when I was
in elementary school, it wasn'tsomething that really, really
talked about much.
Most people who went to myelementary school.
School with me.
They either to be honest, didwent to jail.
Very few of them left and wentto college and graduated.
Like I have some now that I'veseen on my timeline have since
(05:48):
now went to college.
But for reference, I'm in myforties.
So just to give some idea.
When I left elementary school,my mom moved us to a better.
more developed neighborhood witha lot more resource.
It's just a much betterneighborhood as a whole.
And so I went to a high schoolin a different area.
(06:09):
And there you did hear a littlebit more talk about about
college, even those who didn'tgo to college.
A lot of people who went to highschool with me, they started
businesses.
They went on to do a lot more, Iguess you would say a diverse
amount of different careers andfields, but a lot of them open
up restaurants.
I mean, Just a lot of nice andvery productive fields that they
(06:33):
went in.
But we had more conversationsabout college, absolutely.
Miguel Sanchez (06:38):
and then for, it sounds like.
Most people were just trying tosurvive
Nia - @moneyperspectives (06:43):
Yeah.
Miguel Sanchez (06:43):
make, make ends meet.
And so you have your daughter at17, I believe you mentioned, and
obviously securing her safety isfirst financially.
And otherwise, at what point didyou decide I have to go to
college?
Why was that important to
Nia - @moneyperspectives (07:02):
It was important to me because, for
one, I didn't want my daughterto grow up in a similar
neighborhood that I did, whichmeant I needed to have
sufficient enough income to fundthat.
And so, like I said, when my mommoved me to that different
neighborhood, I saw a completelydifferent world that I had never
experienced before.
(07:23):
I saw, Just things I had neverseen or known about.
So for me, I wanted that mydaughter's experience to be
closer to that, as opposed to myexperience when I was in
elementary.
And what was the breaking pointto make me realize it is I got a
job at the postal service.
(07:44):
And so working at the postalservice, you know, at first
you're like, Oh, this is a greatjob.
I get to make great money eventhough I don't have a degree,
but.
The way that that job beat andbroke me down.
I hurt my ankle.
I end up having to have surgery.
I had boots and cast for twoyears.
You're out there.
It was in Chicago.
So rain, hell, sleet, snow, likethe Constitution says, nothing
(08:08):
stops the carrier from itsappointed rounds.
So having to do all of that.
My schedule was very sporadicwhere I wasn't getting off at a
decent enough time to be able toput my daughter in any type of
programs.
Like the list goes on and on ofthe different factors and all of
them led to the same thing.
I need more money.
Miguel Sanchez (08:31):
So, as you, as you mentioned before, it took
you some time to complete yourgraduate degree, excuse me, your
undergrad degree.
We'll talk about your graduatedegree in a moment.
Where did you go to undergrad?
Nia - @moneyperspectives (08:42):
So for undergrad, I first started at
the city community college.
Uh, Chicago has a very nicesystem.
It's about five differentcolleges and you can attend
either one of them.
And so your, all your creditsare transferable.
So I would work by the collegethat was closest to my job.
So I've attended three of fivein pursuit of my associates.
(09:08):
And so with that, I went all theway up until my associate's
degree, but the last Semester Istarted the job at the postal
service and like I said, verysporadic hours, so I failed one
of my classes, so I didn't getthe associates at that point.
(09:28):
I ended up with a professionalcertificate and then again
Looking for more economicstability for my daughter, I
bought a house around that time,but the house was in the
suburbs.
And the suburban communitycollege refused to let me
graduate from there unless Itook a certain amount of classes
there.
So that prolonged my journey alittle bit because now I had to
(09:51):
take five classes at thiscollege where I only really
needed one.
So took that there and thenafter I graduated from that
community college with myassociates finally, then I moved
on to Chicago State Universityand that's where I got my
Bachelor's of Science.
Miguel Sanchez (10:09):
Terrific.
And so for our listeners, it'sokay not to go to college.
If your goal is to go tocollege, and we'll talk about
whether college is an option foreveryone or should it be an
option for everyone?
I believe it is, but from apersonal finance perspective,
there might be other optionsdepending on your, on your
situation.
(10:33):
It's okay to maybe take a breakor maybe life makes you take a
break.
goal is to stay motivated andpersistent to the process.
What, what did that look likefor you in terms of how did
having the undergrad degreechange your career prospects?
Nia - @moneyperspectives (10:50):
So for me, it completely did because I
was trying to get out of thepostal service because again, a
lot of wear tear on my body,crazy hours, outside in the
elements all day.
So I was consistently applyingto other agencies to transfer.
It was not until I got mybachelor's that I was able to
(11:10):
transfer out of the postalservice into another agency.
And so with that, I transferredinto a receptionist role, which
also was a$20,000 pay cut.
I must note'cause that's prettysignificant.
So I moved into that role.
But while I was in that role I,again, I am a person that you
(11:31):
have to always keep the end inmind.
What is it that I'm trying todo?
And so with that, I saw theopportunity that I can go for my
master's and I can do thehomework right here, like, at a
sit down job.
I just came from running up anddown the stairs all day.
I'm now at a role that I onlywork Monday through Friday.
(11:53):
I'm sitting at a desk all day.
Much less use of my physicallabor.
Let me use this to my benefit toget me where I'm trying to go.
Miguel Sanchez (12:06):
I like that you mentioned you went from one type
of work to a, to a differenttype of work.
And sometimes we take that forgranted.
I worked in a restaurant for 10plus years, and I used to work
12 hours a day at times, six,seven days a week.
And then going to more of anoffice job was such a big shift.
(12:26):
And every day I'm very gratefulfor that, and I'm sure you are
too.
And so tell me about thisgraduate program.
What was that like?
That graduate program in, andwhat were some of the things
that you learned there?
Nia - @moneyperspectives (12:36):
So, for my graduate program at this
is the point where I started toreally realize the significance
of personal finances and.
much I actually becameinterested in it because.
I.
With me buying a house andeverything, I had to buy books.
You know, this was before Googleand YouTube university.
(12:58):
So this is me having to buyphysical books and put tabs in
them.
And this is the way that Istarted to learn about personal
finance.
So for my MBA, I got an MBA infinance.
Miguel Sanchez (13:10):
What were some of the things that you learned
in the MBA that were really eyeopening that you said to
yourself, I wish I had knownthis five, 10 years
Nia - @moneyperspectives (13:22):
it was a lot.
Um, I met a lot of people there.
So that to me is one of thebiggest parts of attending
college.
It's not always about the degreeor the grades, but the people
that you meet there, you areamongst like-minded individuals
where you're all working toimprove yourself.
For whatever reason, you allhave one thing that you
(13:42):
definitely have in common.
You are in a position where youare doing something to improve
yourself.
So that to me was a verybeneficial environment to be in.
As far as learning differentthings, legally, I learned a lot
about like the legal process andbusiness law and a lot of things
when it comes to like contractsand law, I learned about when it
(14:04):
comes to finance, as far as howorganizations use finance and
how they use them essentially torun their businesses and how it
impacts their businesses.
And the smallest thing as in howuh.
Soda company figures out exactlyhow much liquid to put in a
bottle, to, things like that,you learn how it makes the, the
(14:28):
world go round essentially.
And so for me, that became veryfascinating and on the personal
finance aspect, I took personalfinance and, As one of my
electives,'cause you can choosewhat other classes you wanna
take.
So I took personal financeclasses as a part of my
electives.
Um, and for me, I feel like itjust started to open my eyes at
(14:50):
how many subjects were even.
I.
Under personal finance that I'dlike, I didn't know anything
about tax taxes.
Like I do my taxes every year,but it was more so just, Oh,
well, let me just do my taxesget my refund.
It wasn't like actuallyintricately breaking down
exactly what goes into taxes,how different things you do
affect your taxes.
so for me, it was veryeyeopening, to be honest.
Miguel Sanchez (15:15):
I heard recently that most people or
some people shy away frompersonal finance because they
believe it's all about stocksand bonds, but it's not, it's
taxes, it's behavioral decisionsand, um, patterns as such.
(15:37):
So on that note.
This would be a good segue tothe work that you do now.
Tell me about the work that youdo now.
How are you helping people atyour institution perspectives?
Nia - @moneyperspectives (15:47):
So what I do is I help individuals
kind of to your point, releasethe shame associated with money
mistakes.
I help them transform theirspending habits and so they can
achieve wealth, but withconfidence.
So one of the things I'velearned is that.
Yes, you need education.
You need to learn about moneyand you need to learn about the
(16:11):
different aspects of personalfinance.
But I also am a firm believer.
You need to one research whereyour money habits came from And
you need to build confidence inyour actions because I can teach
you everything in the world, butif you don't feel confident in
your decisions, you're veryrarely gonna actually take
action for what you just learnedbecause you don't feel confident
(16:34):
that you're doing it right.
You're gonna continue to secondguess yourself, you're gonna
talk yourself out of it, you'regonna procrastinate, you're
gonna, you know, it's just somany things you'll do instead of
actually taking the action.
So for me, what I do is I dothat through, I have financial
coaching, I have courses, aswell as I work with a lot of
organizations to help them.
(16:54):
So I.
Discovered a while ago that Ican make a bigger impact and
reach more people working withorganizations, especially when
it comes to like someunderrepresented communities.
I can work with moreorganizations to reach them.
So maybe they can't come to me.
They can't afford me.
they can, I can still help them.
(17:16):
So that's one of the ways that Iuse.
I help them build theircurriculums.
I review curriculums to makesure that they're considering
the unhoused, considering theunbanked, um, and so that their
curriculum is not creating shameas opposed to releasing shame,
as well as facilitatingworkshops, consulting basis.
(17:38):
So I guess I kind of work onboth sides, um, to create the
impact that I feel is needed.
Miguel Sanchez (17:48):
So in your line of work, and as we're talking
about college and paying forcollege, in your experience,
what would you say?
Or how would you advise someonewho's thinking about going to
college, whether it's someonewho's going straight out of high
school or later in life, whatare some things that you keep in
(18:10):
mind as they're planning theircollege experience?
Nia - @moneyperspectives (18:13):
So, for me, I would say one looking
into in, well, in Chicago, itwas a program called college
Excel and I feel like a lot ofdifferent cities have similar
programs whereas basically youcan start taking college courses
while you're still in highschool.
And there's no charge to it, sothis is a way to get a head
start on college classes.
The credits count towards yourdegree and you didn't come out
(18:36):
of your pocket for it.
The second thing is a lot ofcities now, like, so now they
have a lot more programs.
I have a 23-year-old daughter.
at this point now.
So what she's going through thatprocess, it was a scholarship
they had that was like, as longas you got this GPA in school,
they will cover your first twoyears.
So looking for programs likethat, going to a community
(18:59):
college first, because now thatI have a master's, I have never
been asked what communitycollege I went Not Once Once
they know I have an MBA and Ican verify it, it doesn't really
matter.
So looking into communitycolleges because they're more
economic, you can take theclasses at a cheaper rate.
Um, personally, I paid my waythrough my undergrad.
(19:22):
So up to my undergrad I paid outof pocket because they didn't
have that scholarship then whenI when I did that, so I would I
budgeted like I cut cable beforeNetflix, you know You know, I
did that was one of the things Idid I cut cable I just looked at
ways that I could make cuts andthen I would work overtime at
(19:42):
work And so whenever overtime Iwould get would go to the school
And so I would register At thefirst day that they allowed you
to register for classes Sotypically they have a day you
could register for classes, andthen they have a day that it's
the deadline for you to actuallypay before you get withdrawn,
right?
So I would register at thebeginning, and when I got paid,
(20:03):
the school got paid.
And so, as I, you have months.
So I would continue to makepayments during that time, so by
the time it got to that lastdate that everything was due, I
would be have paid it off.
That's one of the ways I did itwith community college.
And then when I went to for myundergrad, my bachelor's, I went
to a public university.
(20:24):
So Chicago state is a stateuniversity.
So it's cheaper than if I wentto a private institution.
So just being very strategic andchoosing what institution you
attend, comparing cost and beingvery strategic with your money,
I would say.
Miguel Sanchez (20:44):
I feel like you're telling my story and I
want to connect three ideas thatjumped at me so far that Really
spoke to me and I hope thishelps anyone listening first is
the idea that college and Iheard this from an author.
I can't remember his name rightnow, but I'll put the book and
(21:06):
the author on the show notes foranyone who wants to read his
book.
It's a great book on colleges.
And one of the things that hetalked about is college provides
two experiences.
One, you get a degree, you learnsomething.
And you build a network.
And so, building that network isreally important in college, and
(21:27):
you mentioned that, and so I'mproud of that.
That was just a great idea andresonated well with me.
And then another is, well, Iwent to a community college and
like you, I used to pay semesterby semester, and there were some
semesters when I didn't attendand it took me longer to finish
(21:47):
a four year degree because Ijust couldn't, uh, get a
scholarship at the point.
There weren't as many financialaid options as they are now.
But looking back, it was such ablessing because I didn't have
to borrow money because I knew Ijust had to pay it as I went.
So I'm glad you mentioned that.
And I don't think you mentionedthat.
(22:08):
I think it's important is, youknow, follow through with maybe
a public institution.
In other episodes, we talkedabout private institutions and
public and they're all great.
But if the public institution isgoing to help you save some
money.
Really work on your networking,save some money and do well.
So going along, What are somebad habits you're seeing that
(22:30):
drives you crazy?
Nia - @moneyperspectives (22:32):
Bad habits that, so I, I'm not, bad
habits that drive me crazy, andI don't necessarily know if I
have one that drives me crazyper se.
I do feel like the generationnow, I.
they need more help with thefigure it out gene is what I
call it.
(22:54):
Having to figure things out ontheir own.
So having to process things,pick a strategy, execute that
strategy.
I feel like that's somethingthat they probably can have help
with.
And I think because they'vespent a lot of their life like
this.
Having that face-to-facecommunication, being able to
(23:14):
strike conversations out withothers, especially in like
prominent places where it wouldbe very important to make good
connections and relationships.
Miguel Sanchez (23:24):
What are some things that you see as risks for
people in general, uh, goingforward?
Nia - @moneyperspectives (23:31):
So for individuals, I see a lot of
people who avoid their financesas a whole because it's very
hard and vulnerable to take thatfirst step to actually look at
what it is that you are dealingwith.
I see a lot of people placingmore shame and blame and
criticism upon themselvesbecause they feel like, oh,
well, I was supposed to be atthis point in my life by now.
(23:54):
And I should have had this and Iwas supposed to do this.
I didn't reach this goal.
Or, of course, social mediacomparison, so comparing
themselves.
to somebody else, or like theysay, keeping up with the
joneses, and I say competingwith the johnsons, I say keeping
up with the joneses andcompeting with the johnsons.
A lot of times, Lands people insituations that it's like if
(24:18):
they just stopped and.
leaned into that fear and Lookedat and see where they were a lot
of times They feel a little bitsigh of relief because it's not
as bad as they think and even soonce you know what you're
dealing With it's a little bitbetter'cause we have a huge fear
of the unknown.
So those are things that I seeRegularly, I also see where
(24:40):
people, they make goals, butthat execution part sometimes
falls to the wayside.
And again, Their first thing isto discouragement, uh, imposter
syndrome, negative self-talk, orjust limiting money beliefs, and
uh, that allows them to not pickit back up again.
(25:03):
Instead of picking it back upagain.
They kind of just throw it tothe wayside and go back to
Miguel Sanchez (25:08):
I think comparison is a big issue,
especially with younger people.
I'm talking about high schoolerswho are Thinking about college,
you know, they're, they're seetheir friends, they're going to
these types of schools and they,you know, you don't have to go
there.
It'd be great if you went there,but you don't have to.
There are plenty of greatoptions.
And so that, uh, self control ofnot competing, not comparing
(25:32):
yourself with others.
I think that's, that's reallyimportant.
So Nia, as we come to the end ofour time, If you can go back in
time and talk to yourself whenyou had just started college,
what would you say to yourself?
Nia - @moneyperspectives (25:46):
If I could go back and talk to myself
when I just started college, Iwould tell myself, just do it.
Do it scared.
Do it nervous.
Do it without all theinformation.
Do it while you still havequestions.
Miguel Sanchez (26:02):
That's great advice.
Do it without having all theinformation because you will get
it as you get, as through theprocess.
And then the final question foryou is, is there anything that
we talked about that you wannaelaborate on?
Is there anything we haven'tdiscussed that you feel it's
important for our listeners toknow?
Nia - @moneyperspectives (26:21):
I think that it's important to
talk about that there is no setpath for any person.
In this current day and age, wehave a lot of options that you
can do kind of to your pointwhen you say like you don't have
to go to college.
I do believe they have moreoptions where they don't have
to, but it's very important tothink about what you want to do.
(26:43):
and you have to think about ifwhat you want to do requires you
to go to college.
You do.
So we, we also see a lot ofpeople who, I guess you could
say, discourage people fromgoing to college.
But as we talk aboutunderestimated communities and
different things like that,don't you want some doctors?
Like, do you want a doctor thatdidn't go to college?
(27:04):
I know I don't.
I want my doctor.
I want the lawyer that'srepresenting me to be very
knowledgeable about the law andthose things will require you to
go to college.
So the, if there's a need forboth.
is my point.
Like, we don't need to build theNarrative of this one is better
than that one because it justdepends on the person and what
their path looks like.
(27:25):
If somebody who wants to be alawyer, it's not better for them
not to go to college.
So you can't make thesegeneralized statements out to
everybody and just know that nomatter what you choose, there
will be hard work.
There will be sacrifice.
There will be times where youdon't wanna be doing and There
will be times where you wannagive up.
That's gonna come along whetheryou go to college or not.
College is not the determinantof hard work.
Miguel Sanchez (27:46):
Yeah, thank you very much for spending time with
us today.
Nia - @moneyperspectives (27:50):
Thank you for having me.
Miguel Sanchez (27:52):
Thank you for listening.
I hope you enjoyed this episode,like share and subscribe to the
podcast.
Welcome to First Gen 1 0 1, the podcast
where first generation graduatesshare their stories and career
tips.
I am your host, Miguel Sanchez.
In this episode, Nia Adamsshares our powerful journey from
being a first gen student tofinancial mentor, helping others
overcome money, mistakes, andbuild wealth with confidence.
(00:32):
Do not miss out on thisopportunity to learn from
someone.
Who truly embodies perseveranceand growth.
welcome to another episode ofthe First Gen 101 podcast.
Today we have Nia Adams who'sgoing to share her story and
advice with us.
Nia, thank you for being heretoday.
Nia - @moneyperspectives (00:53):
Thank you for having me.
Miguel Sanchez (00:56):
So Nia, I want to get right into it because I
know you have a lot to sharewith us today from your
experience to some of the workthat you do to help not only
first gen students but alsoTopics that relate to personal
finance.
We were just talking about thisbefore we started how personal
(01:17):
finance goes hand in hand withhow first generation students
make decisions, whether it'sabout their careers or
education.
So, but before we go into that,tell us about your background.
Tell us about where you grow upand how was going to college for
Nia - @moneyperspectives (01:35):
So I grew up, I'm from Chicago, and I
grew up on the west side ofChicago.
So the neighborhood that I grewup in, I would say
statistically, I was probablynot supposed to be successful.
Um, it was a lot of violence.
Um, we had some programming andcommunity resources, but a lot
of them got removed.
(01:56):
And so it, It just wasn't athriving neighborhood.
It was almost a food desert, um,a lot of gang activity and
different things like that justto kind of try to paint the
picture.
Um, I am the third child ofthree.
Uh, My mom had me well my momand dad were about 17, 18 when
(02:17):
they had me, and I was the thirdchild, and they split shortly
after.
So, just Again, painting thepicture, single mother, three
children, barely just got outtahigh school.
And so, financially, we justdidn't have it.
You know, we struggled.
I experienced food scarcity.
(02:40):
We, I experienced having to eatthe same meal so many times
because that's just was the mosteconomical option for us.
And it shifted and shaped me tothe point where I didn't really
learn much about personalfinance.
My mom or dad didn't go tocollege.
Um, both of them went to highschool, but my mom didn't
(03:00):
graduate high school.
She ended up getting a GED.
So this, when it came to jobs,of course it limited her options
and what jobs she could have andwhat jobs she could work.
And so for me growing up, it wasjust kind of like, for one, I
was the third child.
So a lot of my things were kindof like hand me downs, And it
(03:23):
just, to me, it shaped theexperience for me because it was
like, this is what I know to me.
That was normal to me.
That's what it was supposed tobe because that's what I
experienced.
And so got older.
I navigated my finances, on myown bumping my head up and down
the road, as I say, a lot oftimes.
And so my college experienceagain, was, un, It was, I would
(03:46):
say it was not a traditionalcollege experience either,
because one, I don't havesomebody to ask any questions,
to ask about their experience,or ask them for guidance.
learn from their mistakes, even,you know, so it's kind of like
you creating the mold yourself.
And on top of that, I had adaughter at 17.
(04:07):
So six days before I graduatedhigh school, I had a child.
So for college, for me, it was amarathon.
It took probably about, it tookme 16 years to complete my
college education, because sinceI had a child, I had to stop and
(04:28):
start because College had tocome second.
My first priority was having anincome to be able to provide for
my So to me, it was a, arollercoaster, essentially.
Like, I don't have anybody toask for guidance.
I don't have anybody to, like,look for tips and tricks or
anything like that.
(04:48):
And on top of that, I now haveto navigate college while having
a full-time job while raising achild.
Miguel Sanchez (04:56):
some of the things that come to mind as
you're as you mentioned in yourexperience was a lot of
uncertainty sounds
Nia - @moneyperspectives (05:03):
yes,
Miguel Sanchez (05:04):
time you were growing up in your community and
then thereafter.
So talk to me about yourcommunity.
Was it typical for someone to goto college in your community?
How did the people around highschool think about college?
Was it an aspiration?
Was it something that was justfar removed?
How did that look like for youin your
Nia - @moneyperspectives (05:28):
So when I was younger, when I was
in elementary school, it wasn'tsomething that really, really
talked about much.
Most people who went to myelementary school.
School with me.
They either to be honest, didwent to jail.
Very few of them left and wentto college and graduated.
Like I have some now that I'veseen on my timeline have since
(05:48):
now went to college.
But for reference, I'm in myforties.
So just to give some idea.
When I left elementary school,my mom moved us to a better.
more developed neighborhood witha lot more resource.
It's just a much betterneighborhood as a whole.
And so I went to a high schoolin a different area.
(06:09):
And there you did hear a littlebit more talk about about
college, even those who didn'tgo to college.
A lot of people who went to highschool with me, they started
businesses.
They went on to do a lot more, Iguess you would say a diverse
amount of different careers andfields, but a lot of them open
up restaurants.
I mean, Just a lot of nice andvery productive fields that they
(06:33):
went in.
But we had more conversationsabout college, absolutely.
Miguel Sanchez (06:38):
and then for, it sounds like.
Most people were just trying tosurvive
Nia - @moneyperspectives (06:43):
Yeah.
Miguel Sanchez (06:43):
make, make ends meet.
And so you have your daughter at17, I believe you mentioned, and
obviously securing her safety isfirst financially.
And otherwise, at what point didyou decide I have to go to
college?
Why was that important to
Nia - @moneyperspectives (07:02):
It was important to me because, for
one, I didn't want my daughterto grow up in a similar
neighborhood that I did, whichmeant I needed to have
sufficient enough income to fundthat.
And so, like I said, when my mommoved me to that different
neighborhood, I saw a completelydifferent world that I had never
experienced before.
(07:23):
I saw, Just things I had neverseen or known about.
So for me, I wanted that mydaughter's experience to be
closer to that, as opposed to myexperience when I was in
elementary.
And what was the breaking pointto make me realize it is I got a
job at the postal service.
(07:44):
And so working at the postalservice, you know, at first
you're like, Oh, this is a greatjob.
I get to make great money eventhough I don't have a degree,
but.
The way that that job beat andbroke me down.
I hurt my ankle.
I end up having to have surgery.
I had boots and cast for twoyears.
You're out there.
It was in Chicago.
So rain, hell, sleet, snow, likethe Constitution says, nothing
(08:08):
stops the carrier from itsappointed rounds.
So having to do all of that.
My schedule was very sporadicwhere I wasn't getting off at a
decent enough time to be able toput my daughter in any type of
programs.
Like the list goes on and on ofthe different factors and all of
them led to the same thing.
I need more money.
Miguel Sanchez (08:31):
So, as you, as you mentioned before, it took
you some time to complete yourgraduate degree, excuse me, your
undergrad degree.
We'll talk about your graduatedegree in a moment.
Where did you go to undergrad?
Nia - @moneyperspectives (08:42):
So for undergrad, I first started at
the city community college.
Uh, Chicago has a very nicesystem.
It's about five differentcolleges and you can attend
either one of them.
And so your, all your creditsare transferable.
So I would work by the collegethat was closest to my job.
So I've attended three of fivein pursuit of my associates.
(09:08):
And so with that, I went all theway up until my associate's
degree, but the last Semester Istarted the job at the postal
service and like I said, verysporadic hours, so I failed one
of my classes, so I didn't getthe associates at that point.
(09:28):
I ended up with a professionalcertificate and then again
Looking for more economicstability for my daughter, I
bought a house around that time,but the house was in the
suburbs.
And the suburban communitycollege refused to let me
graduate from there unless Itook a certain amount of classes
there.
So that prolonged my journey alittle bit because now I had to
(09:51):
take five classes at thiscollege where I only really
needed one.
So took that there and thenafter I graduated from that
community college with myassociates finally, then I moved
on to Chicago State Universityand that's where I got my
Bachelor's of Science.
Miguel Sanchez (10:09):
Terrific.
And so for our listeners, it'sokay not to go to college.
If your goal is to go tocollege, and we'll talk about
whether college is an option foreveryone or should it be an
option for everyone?
I believe it is, but from apersonal finance perspective,
there might be other optionsdepending on your, on your
situation.
(10:33):
It's okay to maybe take a breakor maybe life makes you take a
break.
goal is to stay motivated andpersistent to the process.
What, what did that look likefor you in terms of how did
having the undergrad degreechange your career prospects?
Nia - @moneyperspectives (10:50):
So for me, it completely did because I
was trying to get out of thepostal service because again, a
lot of wear tear on my body,crazy hours, outside in the
elements all day.
So I was consistently applyingto other agencies to transfer.
It was not until I got mybachelor's that I was able to
(11:10):
transfer out of the postalservice into another agency.
And so with that, I transferredinto a receptionist role, which
also was a$20,000 pay cut.
I must note'cause that's prettysignificant.
So I moved into that role.
But while I was in that role I,again, I am a person that you
(11:31):
have to always keep the end inmind.
What is it that I'm trying todo?
And so with that, I saw theopportunity that I can go for my
master's and I can do thehomework right here, like, at a
sit down job.
I just came from running up anddown the stairs all day.
I'm now at a role that I onlywork Monday through Friday.
(11:53):
I'm sitting at a desk all day.
Much less use of my physicallabor.
Let me use this to my benefit toget me where I'm trying to go.
Miguel Sanchez (12:06):
I like that you mentioned you went from one type
of work to a, to a differenttype of work.
And sometimes we take that forgranted.
I worked in a restaurant for 10plus years, and I used to work
12 hours a day at times, six,seven days a week.
And then going to more of anoffice job was such a big shift.
(12:26):
And every day I'm very gratefulfor that, and I'm sure you are
too.
And so tell me about thisgraduate program.
What was that like?
That graduate program in, andwhat were some of the things
that you learned there?
Nia - @moneyperspectives (12:36):
So, for my graduate program at this
is the point where I started toreally realize the significance
of personal finances and.
much I actually becameinterested in it because.
I.
With me buying a house andeverything, I had to buy books.
You know, this was before Googleand YouTube university.
(12:58):
So this is me having to buyphysical books and put tabs in
them.
And this is the way that Istarted to learn about personal
finance.
So for my MBA, I got an MBA infinance.
Miguel Sanchez (13:10):
What were some of the things that you learned
in the MBA that were really eyeopening that you said to
yourself, I wish I had knownthis five, 10 years
Nia - @moneyperspectives (13:22):
it was a lot.
Um, I met a lot of people there.
So that to me is one of thebiggest parts of attending
college.
It's not always about the degreeor the grades, but the people
that you meet there, you areamongst like-minded individuals
where you're all working toimprove yourself.
For whatever reason, you allhave one thing that you
(13:42):
definitely have in common.
You are in a position where youare doing something to improve
yourself.
So that to me was a verybeneficial environment to be in.
As far as learning differentthings, legally, I learned a lot
about like the legal process andbusiness law and a lot of things
when it comes to like contractsand law, I learned about when it
(14:04):
comes to finance, as far as howorganizations use finance and
how they use them essentially torun their businesses and how it
impacts their businesses.
And the smallest thing as in howuh.
Soda company figures out exactlyhow much liquid to put in a
bottle, to, things like that,you learn how it makes the, the
(14:28):
world go round essentially.
And so for me, that became veryfascinating and on the personal
finance aspect, I took personalfinance and, As one of my
electives,'cause you can choosewhat other classes you wanna
take.
So I took personal financeclasses as a part of my
electives.
Um, and for me, I feel like itjust started to open my eyes at
(14:50):
how many subjects were even.
I.
Under personal finance that I'dlike, I didn't know anything
about tax taxes.
Like I do my taxes every year,but it was more so just, Oh,
well, let me just do my taxesget my refund.
It wasn't like actuallyintricately breaking down
exactly what goes into taxes,how different things you do
affect your taxes.
so for me, it was veryeyeopening, to be honest.
Miguel Sanchez (15:15):
I heard recently that most people or
some people shy away frompersonal finance because they
believe it's all about stocksand bonds, but it's not, it's
taxes, it's behavioral decisionsand, um, patterns as such.
(15:37):
So on that note.
This would be a good segue tothe work that you do now.
Tell me about the work that youdo now.
How are you helping people atyour institution perspectives?
Nia - @moneyperspectives (15:47):
So what I do is I help individuals
kind of to your point, releasethe shame associated with money
mistakes.
I help them transform theirspending habits and so they can
achieve wealth, but withconfidence.
So one of the things I'velearned is that.
Yes, you need education.
You need to learn about moneyand you need to learn about the
(16:11):
different aspects of personalfinance.
But I also am a firm believer.
You need to one research whereyour money habits came from And
you need to build confidence inyour actions because I can teach
you everything in the world, butif you don't feel confident in
your decisions, you're veryrarely gonna actually take
action for what you just learnedbecause you don't feel confident
(16:34):
that you're doing it right.
You're gonna continue to secondguess yourself, you're gonna
talk yourself out of it, you'regonna procrastinate, you're
gonna, you know, it's just somany things you'll do instead of
actually taking the action.
So for me, what I do is I dothat through, I have financial
coaching, I have courses, aswell as I work with a lot of
organizations to help them.
(16:54):
So I.
Discovered a while ago that Ican make a bigger impact and
reach more people working withorganizations, especially when
it comes to like someunderrepresented communities.
I can work with moreorganizations to reach them.
So maybe they can't come to me.
They can't afford me.
they can, I can still help them.
(17:16):
So that's one of the ways that Iuse.
I help them build theircurriculums.
I review curriculums to makesure that they're considering
the unhoused, considering theunbanked, um, and so that their
curriculum is not creating shameas opposed to releasing shame,
as well as facilitatingworkshops, consulting basis.
(17:38):
So I guess I kind of work onboth sides, um, to create the
impact that I feel is needed.
Miguel Sanchez (17:48):
So in your line of work, and as we're talking
about college and paying forcollege, in your experience,
what would you say?
Or how would you advise someonewho's thinking about going to
college, whether it's someonewho's going straight out of high
school or later in life, whatare some things that you keep in
(18:10):
mind as they're planning theircollege experience?
Nia - @moneyperspectives (18:13):
So, for me, I would say one looking
into in, well, in Chicago, itwas a program called college
Excel and I feel like a lot ofdifferent cities have similar
programs whereas basically youcan start taking college courses
while you're still in highschool.
And there's no charge to it, sothis is a way to get a head
start on college classes.
The credits count towards yourdegree and you didn't come out
(18:36):
of your pocket for it.
The second thing is a lot ofcities now, like, so now they
have a lot more programs.
I have a 23-year-old daughter.
at this point now.
So what she's going through thatprocess, it was a scholarship
they had that was like, as longas you got this GPA in school,
they will cover your first twoyears.
So looking for programs likethat, going to a community
(18:59):
college first, because now thatI have a master's, I have never
been asked what communitycollege I went Not Once Once
they know I have an MBA and Ican verify it, it doesn't really
matter.
So looking into communitycolleges because they're more
economic, you can take theclasses at a cheaper rate.
Um, personally, I paid my waythrough my undergrad.
(19:22):
So up to my undergrad I paid outof pocket because they didn't
have that scholarship then whenI when I did that, so I would I
budgeted like I cut cable beforeNetflix, you know You know, I
did that was one of the things Idid I cut cable I just looked at
ways that I could make cuts andthen I would work overtime at
(19:42):
work And so whenever overtime Iwould get would go to the school
And so I would register At thefirst day that they allowed you
to register for classes Sotypically they have a day you
could register for classes, andthen they have a day that it's
the deadline for you to actuallypay before you get withdrawn,
right?
So I would register at thebeginning, and when I got paid,
(20:03):
the school got paid.
And so, as I, you have months.
So I would continue to makepayments during that time, so by
the time it got to that lastdate that everything was due, I
would be have paid it off.
That's one of the ways I did itwith community college.
And then when I went to for myundergrad, my bachelor's, I went
to a public university.
(20:24):
So Chicago state is a stateuniversity.
So it's cheaper than if I wentto a private institution.
So just being very strategic andchoosing what institution you
attend, comparing cost and beingvery strategic with your money,
I would say.
Miguel Sanchez (20:44):
I feel like you're telling my story and I
want to connect three ideas thatjumped at me so far that Really
spoke to me and I hope thishelps anyone listening first is
the idea that college and Iheard this from an author.
I can't remember his name rightnow, but I'll put the book and
(21:06):
the author on the show notes foranyone who wants to read his
book.
It's a great book on colleges.
And one of the things that hetalked about is college provides
two experiences.
One, you get a degree, you learnsomething.
And you build a network.
And so, building that network isreally important in college, and
(21:27):
you mentioned that, and so I'mproud of that.
That was just a great idea andresonated well with me.
And then another is, well, Iwent to a community college and
like you, I used to pay semesterby semester, and there were some
semesters when I didn't attendand it took me longer to finish
(21:47):
a four year degree because Ijust couldn't, uh, get a
scholarship at the point.
There weren't as many financialaid options as they are now.
But looking back, it was such ablessing because I didn't have
to borrow money because I knew Ijust had to pay it as I went.
So I'm glad you mentioned that.
And I don't think you mentionedthat.
(22:08):
I think it's important is, youknow, follow through with maybe
a public institution.
In other episodes, we talkedabout private institutions and
public and they're all great.
But if the public institution isgoing to help you save some
money.
Really work on your networking,save some money and do well.
So going along, What are somebad habits you're seeing that
(22:30):
drives you crazy?
Nia - @moneyperspectives (22:32):
Bad habits that, so I, I'm not, bad
habits that drive me crazy, andI don't necessarily know if I
have one that drives me crazyper se.
I do feel like the generationnow, I.
they need more help with thefigure it out gene is what I
call it.
(22:54):
Having to figure things out ontheir own.
So having to process things,pick a strategy, execute that
strategy.
I feel like that's somethingthat they probably can have help
with.
And I think because they'vespent a lot of their life like
this.
Having that face-to-facecommunication, being able to
(23:14):
strike conversations out withothers, especially in like
prominent places where it wouldbe very important to make good
connections and relationships.
Miguel Sanchez (23:24):
What are some things that you see as risks for
people in general, uh, goingforward?
Nia - @moneyperspectives (23:31):
So for individuals, I see a lot of
people who avoid their financesas a whole because it's very
hard and vulnerable to take thatfirst step to actually look at
what it is that you are dealingwith.
I see a lot of people placingmore shame and blame and
criticism upon themselvesbecause they feel like, oh,
well, I was supposed to be atthis point in my life by now.
(23:54):
And I should have had this and Iwas supposed to do this.
I didn't reach this goal.
Or, of course, social mediacomparison, so comparing
themselves.
to somebody else, or like theysay, keeping up with the
joneses, and I say competingwith the johnsons, I say keeping
up with the joneses andcompeting with the johnsons.
A lot of times, Lands people insituations that it's like if
(24:18):
they just stopped and.
leaned into that fear and Lookedat and see where they were a lot
of times They feel a little bitsigh of relief because it's not
as bad as they think and even soonce you know what you're
dealing With it's a little bitbetter'cause we have a huge fear
of the unknown.
So those are things that I seeRegularly, I also see where
(24:40):
people, they make goals, butthat execution part sometimes
falls to the wayside.
And again, Their first thing isto discouragement, uh, imposter
syndrome, negative self-talk, orjust limiting money beliefs, and
uh, that allows them to not pickit back up again.
(25:03):
Instead of picking it back upagain.
They kind of just throw it tothe wayside and go back to
Miguel Sanchez (25:08):
I think comparison is a big issue,
especially with younger people.
I'm talking about high schoolerswho are Thinking about college,
you know, they're, they're seetheir friends, they're going to
these types of schools and they,you know, you don't have to go
there.
It'd be great if you went there,but you don't have to.
There are plenty of greatoptions.
And so that, uh, self control ofnot competing, not comparing
(25:32):
yourself with others.
I think that's, that's reallyimportant.
So Nia, as we come to the end ofour time, If you can go back in
time and talk to yourself whenyou had just started college,
what would you say to yourself?
Nia - @moneyperspectives (25:46):
If I could go back and talk to myself
when I just started college, Iwould tell myself, just do it.
Do it scared.
Do it nervous.
Do it without all theinformation.
Do it while you still havequestions.
Miguel Sanchez (26:02):
That's great advice.
Do it without having all theinformation because you will get
it as you get, as through theprocess.
And then the final question foryou is, is there anything that
we talked about that you wannaelaborate on?
Is there anything we haven'tdiscussed that you feel it's
important for our listeners toknow?
Nia - @moneyperspectives (26:21):
I think that it's important to
talk about that there is no setpath for any person.
In this current day and age, wehave a lot of options that you
can do kind of to your pointwhen you say like you don't have
to go to college.
I do believe they have moreoptions where they don't have
to, but it's very important tothink about what you want to do.
(26:43):
and you have to think about ifwhat you want to do requires you
to go to college.
You do.
So we, we also see a lot ofpeople who, I guess you could
say, discourage people fromgoing to college.
But as we talk aboutunderestimated communities and
different things like that,don't you want some doctors?
Like, do you want a doctor thatdidn't go to college?
(27:04):
I know I don't.
I want my doctor.
I want the lawyer that'srepresenting me to be very
knowledgeable about the law andthose things will require you to
go to college.
So the, if there's a need forboth.
is my point.
Like, we don't need to build theNarrative of this one is better
than that one because it justdepends on the person and what
their path looks like.
(27:25):
If somebody who wants to be alawyer, it's not better for them
not to go to college.
So you can't make thesegeneralized statements out to
everybody and just know that nomatter what you choose, there
will be hard work.
There will be sacrifice.
There will be times where youdon't wanna be doing and There
will be times where you wannagive up.
That's gonna come along whetheryou go to college or not.
College is not the determinantof hard work.
Miguel Sanchez (27:46):
Yeah, thank you very much for spending time with
us today.
Nia - @moneyperspectives (27:50):
Thank you for having me.
Miguel Sanchez (27:52):
Thank you for listening.
I hope you enjoyed this episode,like share and subscribe to the
podcast.
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