Dollar Scholars at Church of the Sacred Heart

My friend Teresa A., who is also friends with Dr. Jeffrey Dickinson, helped connect him with representatives from her church, creating an opportunity to offer a financial education class for the Hispanic community. The Church of the Sacred Heart, with a history spanning over 100 years, is located at 3211 Sacred Heart Way NW, Washington, DC. They welcomed us warmly, noting the high demand for financial education in their community. After our initial pilot class, we decided to divide the content among three instructors.

Being Mexican and fluent in Spanish, finding other volunteers wasn’t difficult for me. However, coordinating our schedules was a bit challenging. We eventually set the class date for Sunday, August 18, 2024, at 2 p.m., to be held in the church auditorium. A few days before the event, we distributed the materials to be covered. We organized ourselves so that Eduardo, Dairys, and I would teach the class in Spanish. Eduardo is a student at American University, originally from Alaska, with Mexican parents. Dairys, a Salvadoran immigrant and former resident of Guatemala, is a beloved member of the Sacred Heart community.

The day finally arrived. Dr. Jeffrey Dickinson generously provided us with white Under Armour polo shirts embroidered with the Dollar Scholars logo, which gave us a professional, unified appearance. Together, we set up chairs, connected the projector, and adjusted the microphone. Participants arrived gradually, some alone and others with companions. We started with a lesson on income and expenses. Though the auditorium was silent at first, the class included interactive activities that encouraged participation.

As the session progressed, people grew more comfortable asking questions. In the final section, Dairys wrapped up with several relatable examples. With laughter and shared advice, we concluded with a Q&A session. Participants expressed gratitude and eagerness to learn more. One man mentioned that he planned to return with his son to begin discussing these financial topics at home. The class was a success, and we learned a lot from the experience. For example, we tried to collect feedback using a QR code on paper, but of over 50 attendees, we received only two responses. Next time, we plan to collect responses in person at the end of the session.

Helping others by using my native language here in the United States has been a rewarding experience. I know firsthand how challenging it can be to adapt to a new country, and navigating a different financial system is an even greater challenge.