Our Mission

The Problem

A Crisis Hidden in Plain Sight

Across the United States — and especially in Arizona — a generation of young people from first-generation and marginalized backgrounds is entering adulthood financially unprepared. Not because they lack intelligence or drive, but because no one taught them.

The Financial Literacy Gap

Financial literacy — understanding budgets, credit, debt, investing, and long-term planning — is the foundation of economic stability. Yet this knowledge is rarely passed down in households where financial hardship has been the norm for generations. First-generation Americans and students from low-income communities enter adulthood without the tools to build wealth, avoid predatory lending, or plan for retirement.

Schools in underserved districts are the least likely to offer robust personal finance education, compounding an already unequal playing field. The consequences are severe: higher rates of debt, lower savings rates, greater vulnerability to financial exploitation, and widening wealth gaps that persist across generations.

57%

of first-generation college students score below proficient on financial literacy assessments

72%

of low-income high school students have never been taught to read a pay stub or tax form

$1.7T Total U.S. student loan debt — disproportionately carried by first-gen students

30% of Black and Hispanic households report zero financial emergency savings

Only 7 states require a standalone financial literacy course to graduate high school

62% of unbanked adults in the U.S. come from minority communities

The Career Awareness Gap

Beyond financial literacy, there is a critical lack of career awareness — specifically, a disconnect between the careers students are aware of and the financial trajectories those careers offer. Without exposure to fields like financial planning, accounting, banking, investment, and fintech, students from marginalized communities self-select out of high-earning career paths before they ever explore them.

This isn't just about money — it's about futures. When students understand what a financial advisor earns, how a budget analyst operates, or what it means to manage institutional capital, a whole world of possibility opens. AZ FTRS is committed to making that world visible and accessible.

80% of low-income youth cannot name a single finance-related career

3x fewer career counseling hours available at high-poverty schools

Our Answer

The AZ FTRS Solution

We don't just hand students pamphlets. We put them in the room — engaging them in real experiences that make financial knowledge stick and careers feel real.

Weekly Literacy Sessions

Every Tuesday from February through April, students participate in structured sessions that cover a new financial topic — from budgeting and banking to investing and entrepreneurship. Each session is built on interactive exercises, not passive lectures.

Real-Life Simulations

Students don't just hear about budgets — they build them. They simulate life decisions, evaluate debt scenarios, and practice the kind of thinking that leads to sound financial choices in the real world.

Career Pathway Exploration

We introduce students to careers in finance, accounting, fintech, entrepreneurship, and wealth management. Speakers from industry, campus visits, and career mapping exercises make these paths feel tangible and achievable.

Community & Mentorship

Learning is compounded by community. AZ FTRS connects students with mentors who share their backgrounds and have built careers in finance — proof that this path is possible and that they don't walk it alone.

"The wealth gap isn't a talent gap. It's an information gap. And I intend to close it — one student, one session, one career at a time."

— Founder: Ishaan Patel