PORT ISABEL — For five weeks, high school freshman Ghesline Medina and other GEAR UP students learned about money management and investment through a new program.
Upon completing the program, participants had the opportunity to enter a contest explaining what they learned.
Based on the results of the contest, Ghesline’s hard work, creativity and strong financial skills proved to be award-worthy.
On April 8, a celebration was given to Ghesline for being the gold winner of the Region One ESC GEAR UP Millionaire’s Club contest.
Ghesline received a laptop and other prizes for creating a winning project that involved financial topics, such as salarybased budgets, savings and investing.
“I couldn’t believe that I won. I was so happy,” Ghesline said. “A thing I learned is that you always have a chance. You won’t always be at the top, but if you at least try, you can always get somewhere.”
According to Region One ESC GEAR UP Specialist Angela Delamar, the program is called the Millionaire’s Club because it aims to teach students how to budget money, choose a good career, save and invest and then potentially, with hard work, discipline and the concept of paying yourself first, become a millionaire.
A panel of judges who are bankers from establishments such as BBVA Compass, Wells Fargo and Lone Star National Bank were assembled to determine the winners of the contest.
Throughout the program, participants made salary-based budgets and calculated how much they would earn per year with their desired career.
“Whatever we get on the gross-income, we start adding how much we would spend each month on different things like transportation, groceries and health coverage,” Ghesline explained.
For Ghesline, something she learned from the Millionaire’s Club is to always pay yourself first.
“When we pay ourselves first, we would always have a little bit of money saved up in case we have any emergency or if you’re in retirement, you know you already have that money saved,” she explained.
Ghesline is interested in becoming a marine biologist or wildlife biologist and appreciates being in the GEAR UP program.
“I love that they always support you throughout the entire way,” she said. “If you want to try something, they support you.”
