Michael Viviano: At a young age, I kind of always had this notion that I would like to teach, but I started working on Wall Street and then I was working at a mortgage bank for some time period. One day I went into work and they pretty much shut down on that day. My wife said, "You know, you always wanted to go into teaching. Maybe this is the time." That was it. From there, I started this journey.
TITLE CARD TEXT: Michael Viviano is one of 732 teachers in the U.S. introducing middle and high school students to the world of investing through the SIFMA Foundation's Capitol Hill Challenge.
Michael Viviano: Financial literacy is important for everybody. In life, a majority of us have been in situations where money was an issue. For a lot of our students, if in their homes they see money as an issue it's a very vulnerable thing because, for one, they can't do much about it. Two, they don't really have the knowledge. It's very hard for them to help, so they're really just subject to whatever it is that's going on. For me, to be able to provide them with the tools that they can change that is one of the most powerful things and one of the reasons why I enjoy being a teacher, because I know that I can make a difference and change their futures because of it.
Michael Viviano: The Capitol Hill Challenge teaches these students that you don't have to be an expert to learn how to trade or learn how to buy and invest in the markets. These aren't all professionals on Wall Street that do it. I don't want them to feel intimidated or that it's something for somebody else. It's not 100% to me the stocks that they buy or sell, but it's more the thought process that's going to prove to them that, you know, they're able to start this process at a young age.
Michael Viviano: What I want my students really to take away from investing and finance is that it makes a difference. It's really important that they set themselves up, so that later on in life they don't have to go through the pain of going through financial situations that they're not in control of. I want them to be able to look back and say, "Wow, you know, that teacher really thought I had something and really believed in me," and maybe that's what they need to push them over whatever it is that they're going through. It's truly one of the most meaningful things that you can teach, and I take pride in having the opportunity to do that.
TITLE CARD TEXT: Charles Schwab Foundation has committed $1 Million over three years to advance financial capability and civics through the SIFMA Foundation's Capitol Hill Challenge.