Sophomore Lindsay Swanson needed to find a way to offset the increasing cost of college, so like many students she found a work-study job, filing papers.

Swanson, an undeclared sophomore student, said she enjoys her “typical office job” at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management, but the work she looks forward to isn’t paid.

Swanson volunteers through Syracuse University Enactus’s program Start Smart, where her true passion shines through.

Start Smart is a program that meets at H.W. Smith School on Friday afternoons. It aims to teach students that learn English as their second language financial literacy.

“We teach them to recognize currency and give change,” Swanson said. “Also a big part of this is working on their math skills.“

The kids that Swanson works with are from all around the world. She has taught kids from India and Nepal. Most of the kids are in seventh or eighth grade. However, Swanson said the kids can be as old as sophomores in high school.

Swanson and other members of Start Smart bring the students worksheets and units of change to help them improve their financial skills. They even set up a mock store for them to practice what they have learned.

“One big thing is we want to prepare them for their first time in a store. I remember my first time buying something at a store, and it was kind of nerve-wracking,” Swanson said. “We want to make them more comfortable.”

Start Smart allows Swanson, who has always loved working with kids, the perfect opportunity to do what she loves while also incorporating what she is learning about business, she said.

“Find something you are good at and that you are passionate about,” Swanson said. “It’s fun to come to the school and be able to have my business background and being able to work with kids.”

Published on September 8, 2015 at 9:50 pm

Contact Katie: kazilcos@syr.edu