Miss Minnesota Contestant Highlights Financial Literacy as Her Platform

NOTE: Welcome readers who found your way here from this article by Kara McGuire in the Minnesota Star Tribune. For more about my family’s journey out of debt, you can check out my about page. I hope you enjoy your stay!

Kelsey Malecha is only 23-years old and she is going around to schools in her free time and teaching financial literacy to students. My reaction? I think what she is doing is absolutely awesome!

To top it off, she’s competing in the Miss Minnesota pageant (she’s the current Miss Midwest-Minnesota) and using financial literacy as her platform. What a great way to put the issue of teaching personal finance to students in the spotlight.

She can speak to the students from experience. She overcame poor spending habits in college that left her in debt:

I had about $5,000, which to me was a lot because having debt in my household is something that’s frowned upon. I didn’t tell my parents until this last year. I paid it off with my internship and after working with this appraisal firm. I was so embarrassed about it that I didn’t tell anyone.

Via [StarTribune.com]

She has spoken to 42 schools so far and her audiences have ranged from first graders to high schoolers. Just think, if only one parent from each school volunteered to speak to students about personal finance…it could make a very big difference. Once our credit card debt is paid off, perhaps I will look into speaking at our schools.

Kelsey…I wish you the best during the pageant and I hope the Miss America competition is in your future. I think what you are doing is awesome!

Posted by Tricia on June 1, 2008 at 12:24 AM in Kids & Money | 7 Comments »
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fathersez responded:
Posted: June 1st, 2008 at 5:16 am
You have used the right term to describe her, she is awesome!

Someone like her can be an excellent role model for financial literacy. It must have been tough to choose this calling rather than being a spokeperson for some consumer product.(which would probably pay much better)
Alexandra Hancock responded:
Posted: June 1st, 2008 at 7:52 am
Wow! I’m 23 years old. I can’t say that I am visiting schools and teaching children good habits, but I am teaching myself some! I’m so glad that I started looking into paying off our debt and read blogs and books. Now I am paying it off and saving for the future.

Good luck Kelsey!!!
T'pol responded:
Posted: June 1st, 2008 at 1:46 pm
Smart and beautiful with a mission. Hope she wins!
Danielle responded:
Posted: June 1st, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Miss Hollywood, Jackie Geist, is doing the same thing!

“Saving for the Future” is Jackie’s platform, and I think it’s something we ALL need to be concerned about!

People complain that Miss America isn’t stickin’ with the times, but I believe that with contestants like Kelsey in Minnesota and Jackie in California, we’re getting there!
Kelsey responded:
Posted: June 2nd, 2008 at 12:16 pm
Tricia,
Thank you for posting about my article and my platform. I enjoy your blog and commend you for making your mission to blog away debt an inspiration! Thanks again and keep up the bloggin!
~Kelsey
Kelsey responded:
Posted: June 2nd, 2008 at 12:18 pm
I did not think the first comment posted…sorry!!
Colleen in MA responded:
Posted: June 6th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
Wow, I love this. I am 14 years down the road from Kelsey but I am so glad I finally woke up. I cheer Kelsey and her work and I definitely think there is a future for you, Blogging Away Debt, in motivating others to get educated in personal finance. Please do look into speaking at schools. I remember my 9th grade teacher taught us how to balance a checkbook, in between fractions and geometry. Even though I did eventually get into debt, I did know how much I was in – my teacher made us realize we shouldn’t be afraid of numbers. But how I wish he had talked about saving more than we make!