So, what is this all about…

As I am soon to embark on my second year of life, I have decided that with almost one full year of life and wisdom under my belt, I am ready to engage in a social experiment. “Life from the Ground up: 18 and beyond!” is a project to see how much money I can raise in the next year to go toward my college education, or should I decide that college is not for me, it will support whatever life-enriching, socially and fiscally responsible endeavors I may choose to tackle.
It is my responsibility to keep this as transparent as possible, meaning I will do my best to paint an accurate picture of myself, my family and this project.

My financial goal, or “The Ask…”

I have a goal of raising $10,000 within the next twelve months leading up to my 2nd birthday. This money will go directly into my savings account and will not be accessible to me until my 18th birthday, March 19th, 2029. I ask that you contribute whatever amount you deem appropriate.

How it works…

After you read the information that follows, if you are intrigued by and identify with me, my family and the concepts and principles of this social experiment, “Life from the Ground Up: 18 and beyond!” you can make a contribution to my savings account (which may turn into a 529 plan). ChipIn uses the PayPal method, so your information and our information remain completely private and secured. You simply click on the ChipIn link and follow their directions. I would ask that if you like this project, you forward it along to one or two of your contacts who may also be interested and ask that they do the same. That is how we will start the “snowball” effect.

This blog will allow you to get to know me and my family better and will enable you to track my progress, growth and development over the next year. My blog will provide you - my funder, my mentor, my investor - with a venue in which you can share your comments or thoughts and pose questions.

This project isn’t for everyone…

Money is definitely not a subject everyone likes to talk about. My mom asks people for money for a living, so I guess it’s not quite as uncomfortable for us. If you do not agree with this project that is fine and is your choice. If you would like to share your thoughts concerning your reservations, we would be glad to read them, which may allow us to see a common theme or pattern. Please share your comments on this blog.

The overall goals…

Why do people donate money? Because they identify with the “ask” and they have some personal attachment to the cause, foundation or need. I would like to see if people I know, as well as those I do not know or may never get to meet but who will become privy to this experiment through social media networking, identify with me and my family and believe in this project enough to contribute financially. The concepts, principles and questions on which I hope to gain clarity through this project include, but are not limited to:

-Does modern society still believe it takes a village to raise a child?
-Why does society place such emphasis on higher education and advanced degrees when they are not easily accessible, nor appeal to a large part of our population?
-On whose behalf do we tend to act?
-Middle class families: Too rich for children to receive financial aid based on need, too poor to provide each child with all the funds necessary to attend college.
-529 Plan vs. Savings Account conundrum.

Not only do I want to raise money, but I also seek to further understand the above points to draw conclusions or hypothesize answers. I hope to present this project in a light that allows you to see the values beyond that of a dollar.

Background Information...

Now that we have the basic guidelines down, let me give you some background information to help you better understand this project, who I am and what my family stands for.

I come from a very loving family, which extends beyond my mom, dad and two dogs – Bear and Lucky. I have never had a shortage of people to care for me and love me. I heard my mom say to my dad last night that if wealth could be measured by the amount of laughter and smiles I have brought into their lives, they would be some of the richest people around. My dad’s response was, “It depends how one defines wealth.” At no point in this project, is it my intention to make you think I come from an under-privileged background. I ask that if you read into, or over-analyze anything, it be the key points mentioned above, not my story. I tend to over-analyze Arthur and Angelina Ballerina on PBS…it only seems to make life more complicated.

My mom received her undergraduate degree from Knox College, which is where she truly began to master thinking outside of the box. After teaching special education in the New Orleans Recovery School District for a couple years, she decided it was vital to her personal and professional growth that she pursue a master’s degree in social work with the goal of returning to New Orleans to continue her work of rebuilding the city through education and social work. In May of 2011, my mom received a Master of Science in Social Administration from Case Western Reserve University – Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences. Her experiences living and teaching in New Orleans, coupled with the wealth of knowledge she gained while at Case Western, her need to serve and advocate for those who often are not given a voice in society only grew stronger. After seeking employment for close to a year, my mom is finally gainfully employed and currently works for a non-profit serving children and adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities. We still fully support her dream of moving back to New Orleans, should the opportunity present itself.

My dad. He’s awesome. I am pretty confident in saying he was born thinking outside of the box. While his IQ is off the charts, he never finished his bachelor’s degree. After giving it a valiant effort, and trying a few different schools, he ultimately decided college just wasn’t for him, and that’s okay. (My mom says he marches to the beat of his own drum). Unfortunately, our society has made it nearly impossible for individuals who do not have a degree or letters to put after their name, to gain any respect in the professional world. Being afforded the opportunity to prove himself and his worth to potential employers was made a daunting task for my dad due to his lack of socially acceptable credentials – degrees and letters. (Let’s not forget the tough job market my family and many others are forced to confront on a daily basis). When I came along, my dad felt it was incredibly important for the stability of our family, that he find a salaried position with benefits – something he had never had before. He landed his full-time salaried position slightly less than one month ago and we are very proud of him! I really look up to him! (Maybe because he’s 6’4” and towers over me. Luckily I’m like a monkey and can scale up his legs. My mom on the other hand…vertically challenged, but moving on).

My mom has a significant amount of debt solely due to her undergraduate and graduate loans (she did receive a full-ride academic scholarship her second year of graduate school). My Gramps and Nana were unable to help out financially, but because she knew she was paying for her college career, she eventually learned to appreciate her educational opportunities that much more, as the money for each credit, each paper, each presentation was coming out of her pocket. It also taught her to fully recognize the value of a dollar (well, that and the fact that Gramps used to charge her 10 percent interest when she was growing up and would borrow money to go to the dime store). When it comes time for me to go to college, I want to be able to contribute financially, as I believe the financial strain that is placed on parents is far too great and while most parents strive to provide their children with the best, it is made difficult with issues such as the rising costs of college tuition.

At the same time, my family holds the belief that college is not one-size-fits-all. While my parents will encourage me and would like to see me go to college, they also recognize it may not be for me. My parents are still in debate over opening a 529 plan for me. What if I decide not to go to college? They have done some research on 529 plans, and by no means am I saying they’re experts, but cannot find information regarding how I would gain access to the money if it was not for academic pursuits and do not want to pay a penalty, fee or percentage to take my money out for non-academic related purposes upon my 18th birthday. It is a touchy subject around our dinner table.

If you’ve made it this far in my narrative you may actually be interested, which makes me hopeful.

I believe that whatever I choose to do once I turn 18, will be productive and will help me find a meaningful place in society. I also trust that I will pay it forward. The generosity I hope to experience from those who choose to contribute to this project is exhibited in the trust I have in human nature (I’m only 11 months old and still believe in the goodwill of people everywhere). I also do not take for granted those who show their generosity in non-financial ways, which are sometimes the richest and most important contributions. Generosity and kindness, breeds generosity and kindness…

I look forward to the many relationships I will have as a result of this project.

Until next time.