Upbeat music plays.
Tamara: As a child I always knew that I wanted to attend an out-of-state college. I wanted some independence. It was just a matter of figuring out how to get there and how to pay for it.
Onscreen text: Tamara Johnson, Money Matters Alum
Tamara: My name is Tamara Johnson. I began attending the Boys & Girls Club when I was nine years old and I am a practicing attorney in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Onscreen text: Gary & Lorraine Johnson, Tamara's parents
Tamara's dad: We raised our family just north of Santa Fe in a small community called Pojoaque. That's where Tamara first attended the Boys & Girls Club. From the time she walked in you could see her eyes get very big.
Tamara: I was in high school when I first began participating in Money Matters. I knew that I wanted to go to college. I just had no idea about scholarships or how to get there.
Tamara's dad: I thought, "man, that's amazing to hear young people start thinking about saving for their future. In that way, she was also teaching her parents.
Tamara: When I think about the moment that I received a full tuition scholarship, oh my gosh. I get chills thinking about it. My mom called me on the phone and said, "we've received a letter from Marquette. Do you want me to open it?" And I said, "Sure, just open it."
Tamara's mom: So I opened the letter and I started reading it, and then I started crying, and she thought she didn't get in.
Tamara: And she said "No, no, no, you got it." I immediately burst into tears and I know my whole family was just really excited.
Onscreen text: Theresa & Arthur Johnson, Tamara's grandparents
Tamara's grandmother: We're so proud of her.
Tamara's grandfather: Yeah, it's really great what she has accomplished.
Tamara: One of the most significant lessons that I took away from Money Matters was learning the difference between a want versus a need. Throughout college, I was always making those decisions, based off needs versus wants. How much money to spend while grocery shopping, or whether or not to go to the movies. And, thankfully, I was able to graduate from college and law-school debt free. I'm trying to make decisions that will benefit me in the future. One of them being saving for retirement, saving for a home at some point. Eventually I know I'll have to buy a car, because I can't use my high school car forever.
Tamara's grandfather: She could even go into politics or something. Maybe be a CEO somewhere or something.
Tamara's grandmother: Maybe even president.
Tamara's dad: To me it's just amazing how it all worked out. A girl from a small town in the middle of nowhere, she ends up going to Marquette University, she rang the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange.
Tamara: I'm one of the many lives that have been changed by learning the basics of financial literacy. I know I'm not alone and I think it has changed so many lives and I think it has the ability to change so many others.
Onscreen text: Money Matters: Make it Count | Boys & Girls Clubs of America, supported by the Charles Schwab Foundation.