Stability Through Financial Literacy

Caleb has always been resilient, resourceful and strategic. He used these qualities to navigate the streets of San Diego where he spent most of his childhood unsupervised. The environment demanded that he be tough and transactional. He was 12 years old. “I always felt I had to prove myself, even though I was probably scared most of the time,” remembers Caleb. 

At 17, Caleb began to redirect his energy toward creating stability. Motivated to set an example for his younger brothers, he returned to school and completed his high school degree. A school counselor took notice of Caleb’s drive and encouraged him to continue to pursue academic achievement in college. 
 

At SDSU, Caleb was introduced to Just in Time, where he benefited from multiple Just in Time services: College Bound, Pathways to Financial Power, Bridges to Success and My First Home. But for Caleb, the most impactful service has been Financial Fitness.   

“People think it’s common sense. They say, ‘Open a ROTH. Open a savings account,’ but in the world where I came from that’s a scam. In the world I come from, people steal credit cards. It was a little scary to open one up. I was dealing with school and loans and how to apply. Having someone to walk me through all these steps made me feel better. Anybody can tell you what to do but in Financial Fitness they actually took the time to walk me through it.”  
 

In addition to achieving his bachelor’s in business from SDSU, Caleb has gone on to complete all three levels of Financial Fitness and has utilized his knowledge to open investment and retirement accounts with matched funds from Just in Time.  
 

“I now believe that I have the chance to be self-sustainable and independent financially and that I have a team of people if I need help. I know that, because of Financial Fitness, I’m more in control of my future!