A reader submission from Logan Lin of Dublin:
I live in a culture where we are measured by our talents and ability. Yet far too often we overlook the importance of inspiration and initiative. Covid-19 in many ways has catapulted generations to be inspired. This period in our history has transformed the way we see our capabilities. Inspiration was always very elusive to me.
I often wondered as a teenager what truly inspired me. During this period of my life I am confined within the four walls of my home, and my interactions with my friends are “virtual”, my mother found creativity in bread making, and I found inspiration while connecting with a friend, Rohan who creates podcasts on Street Fins.
Inspiration needs 3 things: evocation, transcendence, and initiative. My inspiration was evoked by my father at the age of 8 when I first started getting a weekly allowance and opened my first savings account. Each day my father taught me new concepts about finance, from investing in the stock market to learning the basics about wealth management. Transcending beyond the limits of my thought was the moment I visualized specific possibilities and opportunities.
This moment of vision or seeing was when I saw an opportunity to educate elementary, middle schoolers, high schoolers, and others in the Tri-Valley. Inspiration can not be complete without initiation. There is no point in being inspired and not doing anything about it. Inspiration is the springboard of creativity. They both exist when possibilities are seen.
During the school year, I reached out to the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) teacher, Kimberly Carlson at Fallon Middle school and proposed to come in to give a presentation about building a financial foundation. I led this presentation and taught 8th graders about easy ways to save money, the basics of investing, debt management, and financial security. As the students actively listened and took notes during the lecture. I plan to teach and give presentations to over 100 middle school students in the AVID program by the end of next school year about financial literacy.
Last month, I got on a zoom call with Fremont elementary school teacher, Lily Lane who teaches 4th graders. I had the pleasure of teaching the basics of saving money to her class of 30 students, through a presentation, and actively having conversations with the students about their saving habits, what they want to save up for, why they should save money, and how they can save small portions of money every week.
I always wanted to do something that would benefit my community, Dublin. I found finance very interesting the way money grows, and how it’s managed throughout many years. I not only wanted to expand my knowledge about finance but also provide an online educational forum for students that are interested in the financial industry. I had that opportunity when I organized an event with Venture Capitalist, Tim Draper of Draper Associates. Mr. Draper taught me but also students from around the state of California what it takes to become a successful venture capitalist and stock investor.
Tim said, “Look for companies that excite you, not what the market says you should invest in”. As a venture capitalist, he said when he invests in companies, “risk can be very hard to manage especially when it’s a company that is starting to develop. That’s why you should invest in a company that has unique characteristics but also entrepreneurs who want to become successful.” Tim and I also talked about how Covid-19 affected the stock market, he stated, “Covid-19 is a special case because it will never happen again anytime soon, Covid-19 has impacted all industries and small businesses such as restaurants, airlines, and hotels closing them down, which affects the GDP of the US. But in the last month, the stock market and economy have recovered due to many big tech companies which are growth stocks that tend to make revenue fast”. I will never forget my talk with Mr, Draper, and thank him for joining the zoom call.
My passion for finance continues to grow inside of me, as I wrap my brain around new ideas and concepts everyday.
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This article originally appeared on the Dublin Patch
