Never Too Young for Economics Anonymous

The smell of delicious, warm, chocolatey cookies filled the car, and four pairs of hands rushed for the first of these decadent desserts. My family is usually not aggressive, but with cookies around, it’s each person for himself. This memorable childhood tradition left me with something beyond a satisfied stomach. Every time we went to a drive-thru for freshly baked cookies, my parents handed me the change to save in my piggy bank. As my coin collection grew heavier, I learned my first economic lesson: “It’s not about how much money you make, it’s how you save it.”

From a young age, my parents enforced the idea that money was earned. Growing up, I learned to decide between spending my $20-per-month allowance on a new trendy dress or on hot chocolate for my frequent study sessions at local coffee shops. Little did I know that with every decision, my 11-year-old self was computing the opportunity cost and comparative advantage of each choice.

In high school, after joining a business club called DECA and taking a marketing class, I learned about finance, marketing, and economics through creating several thirty page mock business plans that had in-depth research and expenditure spreadsheets, which helped me foster knowledge about...