“Vanguard?! You mean the company that manages my retirement savings?”  This is the usual response I hear when I tell people where I work now.  I have to admit, starting my career as a preschool teacher and social worker seems like a long way from being a crew member at Vanguard. However it’s exactly the base of knowledge and skills I need to serve in my current role as a Program Officer, co-leading the Vanguard Strong Start for Kids™ grant making portfolio.

Where I Started

It was 1996, and I was entering the fall semester of my junior year in college.  I’d spent the summer before as a camp counselor at a local child care center in my hometown, and I was just entering my major in early childhood education.  I’d gotten a job as a preschool assistant teacher at a child care center not far from my college campus, and I LOVED it. I loved working with the lead teacher to plan lessons that used play as a learning tool, working with families to understand their child’s progress and development, and using what I was learning in my teacher training program to guide how I interacted with the children in my care. I didn’t know then, but those first days in that classroom would set the foundation for my professional career across multiple settings.

After graduating and teaching pre-kindergarten for a while, I moved into one-on-one case management helping low-income families’ access public dollars for child care. From there, I spent several years working at child advocacy organizations helping to shape public policies that benefitted young children and families at the state and federal level. While not exactly the same as a teacher-student relationship, these positions continued to build the foundation of understanding that’s needed to steward philanthropic dollars into the early learning sector.

Vanguard Strong Start for Kids Program

While it seems like my experiences might be far from the core business of Vanguard, they’re actually quite similar. Vanguard’s crew are charged with acting as stewards of our clients’ hopes and dreams through smart, sensible, and aligned investment management. And we also are encouraged to be stewards within our communities, so it made sense that the signature crew and corporate philanthropic program would employ Vanguard’s long-held strategy: investing early pays off later. The Strong Start for Kids mission is to boost kindergarten-readiness for low income young children, primarily within Philadelphia, PA, Charlotte, NC, and Phoenix, AZ (our biggest U.S. sites).  Empirical evidence shows that investing in high-quality programs for young children and families in the 0-5 years is necessary for developing educated, healthy, productive citizens that thrive in a global economy.

Equally as important as a long-term societal benefit is the fact that high quality early learning opportunities change the trajectory of individual lives and families. I have seen the impact of high-quality opportunities as an early learning professional and I also see it every day as the parent of two young daughters. Children develop the foundation of their cognitive abilities and character during their first five years. Their brains are literally being built by all of the experiences happening in their lives – good or bad! Nurturing relationships that make children feel safe and loved, while enabling them to experience the world around them, builds stronger brains. By supporting organizations and projects that enhance parent/caregiver skills, improve learning opportunities outside of homes, and coordinate services so that families have easier access, the Strong Start for Kids program works to help young children build the foundation for learning they need to thrive.

I always knew that my life’s calling had to do with educating, empowering, and uplifting young children and their families. I didn’t know that calling would play out like it has and, ultimately, lead me to Vanguard. I’m lucky to work at an organization where my passion for building community aligns with company values.

-Rashanda P.

If you enjoyed this post, check out more from our #LifeatVanguard Blog. And if you’re ready for a more rewarding, engaging, meaningful career, search our opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.

Like everyone before me, my story with working for Vanguard starts with an interview. What makes my story a bit different, is that I didn’t get the job… or even a callback for the next two jobs I applied for. But six years after that first interview, and a lot of great experience at companies completely removed from the investment world, I was ready to give it a go once again. This time, I finally got the job as one of Vanguard’s Sales Consultants!

My experience in sales

In the past, I’ve done sales at companies ranging from an internet startup to an ocean freight shipping company. No matter what job I had though, one thing remained consistent: I loved talking to everyone I could about saving for retirement because I know not enough people are taking the steps necessary to save for the future. Even after building a career elsewhere, this is what made me want to try Vanguard again and again, and it is what fuels my passion for helping people accomplish this goal each and every day.

So what does a Sales Consultant do here at Vanguard? I help people decide if Vanguard is the best place for their investing success. This manifests itself in many ways, ranging from basic conversations like “tell me more about Vanguard’s Personal Advisor Services” to more complex strategies on how to move different account types without major tax implications. I’ll typically speak to about 10-15 potential or existing clients per day, with conversations ranging from 20-30 minutes. The rest of the day is following up with clients I’m already working with.

I love being a salesman, but the industry rightfully has a bad association with the term “sales” – mainly due to high commissions and fees that clients don’t always know about. Vanguard couldn’t be further from this because we structure the job as straight salary with no commission. In the sales world, no commission is a bit jarring because that is typically what motivates salespeople to excel. Instead, at Vanguard, that motivation to “sell” comes from a firm (and data-proven) belief that Vanguard is the best place for the vast majority of investors.

How I give back

Now that I’ve been at Vanguard for about a year, the most exciting development has been the ability to get involved with giving back to our community. At Vanguard, giving back is in our DNA, with over half of our crew volunteering their time at some point throughout the year. For me, I knew early on that I wanted to be a part of equipping young people for financial success. We all know how important it is to start saving young, but who is actually teaching kids these crucial lessons? That is why getting involved with Vanguard’s My Classroom Economy was such an easy choice to make!

My Classroom Economy provides free material that enables any educator to teach their students financially responsible principles that will benefit them for their entire lives. What if you could go back in time and better understand the implications of that student loan you took out? What if you started saving for your retirement with your first paycheck rather than being part of the 40 million households who have no retirement savings at all? With the month of April being national Financial Literacy Month, I think of the work that this team is doing and become giddy thinking about the hundreds of thousands of students forever impacted by this program.

Looking back, I’m glad I didn’t get the initial jobs I applied for, because if it were not for the experiences I had outside of Vanguard, I wouldn’t be nearly as passionate as I am about what we do here every day.

-John M.

Helping the next generation with financial literacy is one way Vanguard crew connect with our communities. Learn more about how Vanguard helps communities have the best chance for success. And if you’re seeking an environment where you can make a difference and develop professionally, check out our career opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.

Earth Day is an annual event celebrated on April 22 that features worldwide events to demonstrate support for environmental protection. In this blog, Anna E. shares why she participates in Earth Day and other environmental initiatives at Vanguard.

About 15 years ago, I traveled to Switzerland and was surprised to see how far along the country was with their recycling. Essentially everything had to be recycled as households would be charged for their trash, so recycling was both socially and economically responsible. There were also community compost bins where food waste was taken to be composted. But being environmentally responsible is about more than just recycling. Since my visit to Switzerland, I’ve made it a personal mission to be as sustainable as possible, including working for a company that empowers employees to be part of the solution.

Since I’ve joined Vanguard, I’ve acted as an environmental advocate by leading programs to get crew members involved in sustainability efforts. One example is volunteering as a Sustainability Ambassador – leading programs to build awareness and encourage participation in corporate sustainability efforts. Many crew members across multiple sites have become Sustainability Ambassadors in their buildings, and in this role, I’ve had opportunities to participate in events, share new corporate initiatives with my team and department, and attend conferences. Since this topic is so important to me, I love that I’ve been able to share messages of “going green” with my fellow crew. And I’m proud to say that Sustainability Ambassadors were influential in the efforts to switch from plastic to biodegradable clamshells and serving dishes in the galleys, which reduced Vanguard’s contribution to area landfills. And over the last several years, Vanguard has enhanced its recycling program to include compost stations in food-service areas, single-stream recycling, and document destruction.

One of the biggest conservation events I support as a Sustainability Ambassador is Earth Day. Every year during Earth Week, Vanguard holds Earth Day Expos to share ways each crew member can be more sustainable with the choices we make. These expos showcase individual and corporate efforts aimed at recycling, energy savings, commuter benefits, and much more.  In addition, throughout Earth Week, Vanguard’s strategic partners and other community organizations educate crew on their sustainability practices.

It’s important for me to be a part of the solution and contribute to Vanguard’s sustainability efforts. It’s great to work for a company that empowers its employees to support long-term initiatives to conserve the environment.

If you enjoyed this post, check out more from our #LifeatVanguard Blog. And if you’re ready for a more rewarding, engaging, meaningful career, search our opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.

I’ve always been drawn to the concept of Skills-based Volunteering (SBV). It’s a simple notion: find an area or skill in which you excel and support someone who needs help with that skillset. It’s a win-win for both parties.

When I joined Vanguard, the question for me was not whether or not I wanted to volunteer, but rather where I could have the most impact. Specifically, I remember the announcement that Vanguard would be kicking off a community garden and crew members with “green thumbs” could put their talents to good use. Unfortunately for me, if you ever saw or experienced my gardening skills, you would see why our community garden team has not been knocking down my door. Okay, the community garden was out, which was probably best for all involved. So what skills could I put to good use…besides my lacking horticultural talents?

Finding the right opportunity for me

This question made me reflect a bit on my learning experiences since joining Vanguard in 2012, with the hope of narrowing down the appropriate skill to leverage before jumping head first into the Skills-based Volunteering “deep end.” To be honest, this was a tricky exercise for me. I have been very fortunate to have had a number of diverse learning experiences over the past seven years: participating in Vanguard’s rotational leadership development program, going back to graduate school for an MBA, and teaching business courses as an adjunct faculty member at a local community college. As valuable as these experiences have been for my development, I wouldn’t necessarily say they set me up to be a specialist in traditional SBV fields (IT, Legal, Finance, etc.).  What they have impressed on me is the value and importance of being a lifelong learner.  I paused after this reflection period, a bit frustrated that I hadn’t gotten any closer to locking in which skill to leverage when volunteering…or so I thought.

I had lunch with a mentor of mine later that week and shared my SBV conundrum. As a good mentor does, she responded with some sound questioning. I expressed to her that I had hoped to leverage the skills I’ve developed at Vanguard to help give back in a meaningful manner. She shared with me an opportunity to help lower-income families file their taxes in a program called VITA at Vanguard. As someone with an undergraduate degree in biology, I initially balked at the recommendation, thinking I had no business helping anyone with his or her taxes. She chuckled a bit, then shared that Vanguard leads an onsite training to help you prepare for the IRS designation and certification for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program.  Like so many times in the past, Vanguard provided me with an opportunity to learn a new skill and put it to good use. I was sold and decided to sign up for the first available training.

More than just taxes

The tax season flew by and I left with a renewed sense of why I wanted to leverage SBV in the first place.  This opportunity provided countless memorable interactions, like a single parent telling me they used the refund money to save for their two daughters’ college educations, or a family of four that used their refund to pay a medical bill.  It was a humbling experience in which I selfishly felt like I took more away than the families I worked with.

It was a truly rewarding experience and one I will not soon forget.  For me, it was a great reminder of the importance of being open minded to learning new skills and being a lifelong learner.  You never know where you’ll be able put those talents to good use.

-Marty L.

Sharing our expertise with others is one way Vanguard crew connect with our communities. Learn more about how Vanguard helps communities have the best chance for success. And if you’re seeking an environment where you can make a difference and develop professionally, check out our career opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.

I arrived at Vanguard in the fall of 2005 after a career in both the non-profit sector and in a help-desk support environment. I had been seeking what some friends warned didn’t exist in a corporate environment: a place that valued lifelong learning and a culture of service. My corporate orientation mentioned a broad set of community initiatives and introduced the idea of professional development with a commitment I had not heard in my prior experiences. Still, I was skeptical: do leaders here really dedicate that much time to growth? Do these people who call themselves ‘crew’ really have the drive to give back to their own community, often on their own time?

A chance to grow

I found my answers in the first few weeks as a website support specialist. After I asked about ways we might improve our client’s online experience, my supervisor invited me to join him on a conference call with a vendor. I found myself explaining details and offering suggestions to consider new approaches. Immediately after the meeting, my supervisor sat with me one on one, asked how I felt, and then offered constructive ways to think about my questions for the future (for example, he advised me to ‘ask yourself if you would recommend the change if your client was in the room’). I remember being struck by the level of consideration given to my ideas, and the care taken to ensure that changes were in the best interest of our clients. The trust and respect I felt was liberating and challenging. I was inspired to prove that I could contribute even more.

A culture of teamwork

Fast forward to 2008, where I found myself watching, alongside my colleagues and the world, as pillars of the global economy began to deteriorate. Rather than panicking, our leaders joined their teams to answer client calls and emails, and set the tone to reaffirm our investment principles. The reassuring patience and focus on our long-term approach that clients heard was a mirror of the commitment that crew felt across all levels. That day, I learned that we are fundamentally more than a financial institution – we are built to help people realize their dreams. Senior leaders, processing associates, project leads, and phone representatives unified under that idea. That experience solidified my desire to pursue leadership as my career path. And with the support of Vanguard University and other leaders who have served as mentors to me, I’ve been leading crew – and serving alongside them – for nearly 10 years.

A commitment to service

My path has provided me with a number of fulfilling community experiences. I have shopped for gifts with colleagues to brighten the holiday season for children in need. I have joined crew and made Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday a “day on, not a day off,” by painting apartments for elderly Philadelphians. For me, our commitment to community shines brightest during our “Vanguard Gives Back” annual giving campaign, where crew can pledge time and donations to make a tremendous impact.

I had long hoped to involve more people in giving, and I met with colleagues and a leader to develop an idea that could leverage our health-focused culture. In 2012, I was honored to help kick off our giving campaign by coordinating the first ever Vanguard Gives Back 5k race within our Pennsylvania campus. Over 500 crew ran, walked, and wheeled that first year. In 2017, that number grew to nearly 2,000! I have since met with crew in our Arizona, North Carolina, and even Australian offices to share our experiences and expand this event. They have made the 5k a truly global force, and a symbol of working and giving together.

Writing about these experiences leaves me with excitement for the future. It also instills a sense of responsibility for me to carry the examples I received forward to others. The next crew member I meet may be looking for their next growth opportunity, may become inspired to serve clients and colleagues, or may help Vanguard expand its leadership in our community.

I’ll be right there with them.

-Carlos C.

If you enjoyed this post, check out more from our #LifeatVanguard Blog. You can also learn more about the many ways Vanguard gives back to our communities. And if you’re ready for a more rewarding, engaging, meaningful career, search our opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.

March 12th is National Girl Scout Day, a day celebrating the organization’s empowerment of girls and its positive impacts to communities across the country. To recognize the day, Vanguard shares this story of how our leaders inspired the next generation at a special Girl Scout event.

A common bond that many Vanguard crew members share is the desire to connect with and make a difference in our local communities. Vanguard encourages crew to prioritize community outreach through volunteer service and inspiring the next generation of talent. Susan M., a graphic design manager in International Marketing Services, saw an opportunity to do just this through her daughter’s Girl Scouts troop. “After comparing the Girl Scout organization’s core values with Vanguard’s, I noticed many similarities. I realized that there was an opportunity to help young women take their first step in their journey as a leader by leveraging my talented colleagues.” said Susan.

Sharing our journey

Susan worked closely with the Girl Scouts organization to create an event where the girls were treated to a panel of talented women from various Vanguard departments, who shared their leadership journeys. The panel included leaders from Investment Management, Marketing & Communications, and International Marketing.  In addition, the audience received a step-by-step how-to guide, and, of course, a custom Girl Scouts patch.

During the panel discussion, each leader explained their unique career path and what steps they took to become the leader they are today. This helped the girls think more deeply about what qualities they possess. The panel members were sure to highlight some of the less obvious leadership qualities like observation and listening skills. The discussion was interactive, complete with time dedicated to Q&A.

Envisioning their future

Following the panel discussion, the girls were broken into small groups and asked to create a “dream board.” This helped the girls conceptualize and express their dreams and aspirations through images and words—emphasizing the important lesson to the girls that their goals are attainable. Along with creating the boards, the girls were also tasked with looking at their dream jobs at a 360 degree angle: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Throughout the activity, the leaders circulated around the room and asked questions to help the girls envision a logical path towards their goals. One of the women on the panel, Stephanie G., said, “The dream board activity was an amazing way to get the girls thinking about how they could be a leader in the future. There was one girl who aspires to be an author. Another girl talked about being a scientist. And another about photography and traveling the world. I think everyone was smiling by the end of the night.”

A passion for development

When I asked the panel to reflect on the event, their responses spoke volumes about how passionate they are about developing talent and sharing their knowledge and experience. The members of the panel seemed to benefit from the event just as much as the attendees.

Rachel C. also shared her positive thoughts about the event. “I enjoyed the event both personally and professionally. I was able to stand beside some of my favorite peers and represent female leadership at Vanguard.  An event like this one shows that Vanguard cares about the development of young women.”

-Allison G.

Editor’s Note: This blog was originally published on January 16, 2018. 

Sharing our expertise with the next generation is one way Vanguard crew connect with our communities. Learn more about how Vanguard helps communities have the best chance for success. And if you’re seeking an environment where you can make a difference and develop professionally, check out our career opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.

One of the best parts of working at Vanguard is our fervent passion to give back to the communities where we live and work. But for one very special event, it was a community across the globe that needed our support – the children of the Philippines. Recently, crew members from Human Resources and the Vanguard Black Professional Network (VBPN) partnered together for a volunteer event for Feed My Starving Children, a non-profit that provides malnourished children with nutritionally complete meals.

Giving back and having fun

Over 41 crew members arrived to pack boxes of MannaPack Rice – a product that provides a single nutritious meal for children all over the world. In the spirit of friendly competition, the entire group moved as fast as possible to pack the food. Laughter and joy filled the room as crew shouted out the next cheer “table 7, box 10!”– both to alert volunteer movers where to pick up the next box and so the entire room would know who was taking the lead in packing the meals. Cups of rice, veggies, and soy whizzed down the assembly lines, bags of rice piled high at the end of the tables, and the packers scrambled to keep up with how fast everything moved.

Anthony D. recalls, “The camaraderie and free spirited fun were on full display as crew raced against one another to hold the title (bragging rights) of most meals made.”

As crew worked, you could feel the Vanguard culture in the room – it truly extends past the buildings we work in. The positive atmosphere was contagious, whether it was the vocal encouragement from the team, the networking with crew we don’t get to see often, or the funny chants we yelled to energize each other. Another crew member shared, “This was a nice change of pace, as most events are a little more formal in setting. It was great to be more hands on.”

The final tally

In just a little over an hour, 240 boxes were packed. This means that 51,840 meals were prepared and packed that will feed 142 children for a single year. Vanguard’s volunteers pushed out $11,404.80 of meals for children in need.

Best of all, we’re contributing to the efforts to feed those in poverty-stricken areas and helping these communities heal and rebuild. There’s something about stepping outside your own neighborhood to focus on the needs of others that inspires you to help again and again.

It’s not just about rice

At the end of the day, we had the opportunity to learn about the recipients of our volunteer efforts. We saw a picture of Anna, who at one year old weighed just nine pounds, and had sunken eyes, a distended belly, and swollen cheeks. After seven months on a nutritional program of MannaPack rice, she had gained 36 pounds. The updated photo of this little girl, now healthy and vibrant, is something we will never forget.

She is the reason we give back.

If you enjoyed this post, check out more from our #LifeatVanguard Blog. And if you’re ready for a more rewarding, engaging, meaningful career, search our opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.

This January, the American Red Cross celebrates National Blood Donor Month and recognizes the lifesaving contribution of blood and platelet donors. Crew member Pete K. shares his story:

Like many of you, my first time donating blood was when a friend asked me to participate in a blood drive. It was easy and painless, and I remember leaving feeling like I’d made some small contribution to the community.

In the years since I’ve become more sensitive to the challenges faced by the Red Cross and other blood collection agencies. The critical need for blood products (whole blood, plasma, platelets) is satisfied by the relatively few who are willing to help through regular donations. The Red Cross reports that while almost 40% of the U.S. population are eligible to donate, less than 10% of that population actually do each year. Contrast that with the fact that every day 36,000 units of red blood cells and 7,000 units of platelets are needed in the U.S., and you have a pretty dire situation. Initially, the main driver for my donations was simply that it’s the right thing to do. But, soon it turned personal.

Why it’s so important to me

My wife, Tammie, went through a particularly tough battle with breast cancer and that struggle really made us appreciate the volunteers that donate blood products. Tammie underwent extensive and intense chemotherapy and radiation treatment – both of which can damage cells in your bone marrow, and are used to manufacture blood and platelets. The effects of these treatments are cumulative, and she became progressively weaker as her regimen progressed. Low blood count leaves patients vulnerable to a variety of infections and even bleeding, so blood donations are critical for recovery. Chances are you have a loved one, or know of someone, with a similar story. I’m happy to say that now, my wife is two years clear of any reoccurrence.

In addition to donating blood, I also donate platelets. I had friends that were doing it, and read that these type of donations are often specifically matched to an individual cancer patient. It felt like an even greater opportunity to help someone in need. Donating platelets is a fairly involved process, and more time consuming, so I typically only manage 4 or 5 of those per year. In between, I participate in blood drives at my church and Vanguard. Can you believe that in 2017, Vanguard crew donated 2,000 pints of blood? Pretty amazing!

Paying it forward

I think the reality is that many of us at some point in our lives will have a similar need, whether due to illness, accident, or scheduled surgery, so I look at donating as “paying it forward” in advance. Vanguard has a culture of crew giving back through community service programs, Volunteer Time Off days, and charitable giving (which includes generous employer matching), all centered on our commitment to what we call the “3 C’s”: clients, crew & community.

I’m grateful to work at a place where my values align with my company’s culture. My wife is pretty grateful too.

-Pete K.

If you enjoyed this post, check out more from our #LifeatVanguard Blog. And if you’re ready for a more rewarding, engaging, meaningful career, search our opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.

A common bond that many Vanguard crewmembers share is the desire to connect and interact within our local communities. Vanguard encourages its crew to prioritize community outreach through charity work and inspiring the next generation of talent. Susan M., a graphic design manager in International Marketing Services, saw an opportunity to do just this through her daughter’s Girl Scouts troop. “After comparing the Girl Scout organization’s core values with Vanguard’s, I noticed many similarities. I realized that there was an opportunity to help young women take their first step in their journey as a leader by leveraging my talented colleagues.” said Susan.

Sharing our journey

Susan worked closely with the Girl Scouts organization to create the “Meet a Leader, Be a Leader” event. The girls were treated to a panel of talented women from various Vanguard departments, who shared their leadership journeys. The panel included leaders from Investment Management, Marketing & Communications, and International Marketing.  In addition, the audience received a step-by-step how-to guide, and, of course, a custom Girl Scouts patch.

During the panel discussion, each leader explained their unique career path and what steps they took to become the leader they are today. This helped to get the girls to think deeper about what qualities they possess. The panel members were sure to highlight some of the less obvious leadership qualities like observation and listening skills. The discussion was interactive, complete with time dedicated to Q&A.

 Envisioning their future

Following the panel discussion, the girls were broken into small groups and asked to create a “dream board”. This helped the girls conceptualize and express their dreams and aspirations through images and words—emphasizing the important lesson to the girls that their goals are attainable. Along with creating the boards, the girls were also tasked with looking at their dream jobs at a 360 degree angle: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Throughout the activity, the leaders circulated around the room and asked questions to help the girls envision a logical path towards their goals. One of the women on the panel, Stephanie G., said, “The dream board activity was an amazing way to get the girls thinking about how they could be a leader in the future. There was one girl who aspires to be an author. Another girl talked about being a scientist. And another about photography and traveling the world. I think everyone was smiling by the end of the night.”

A passion for development

When I asked the panel to reflect on the event, their responses spoke volumes about how passionate they are about developing talent and sharing their knowledge and experience. The members of the panel seemed to benefit from the event just as much as the attendees.

Rachel C. also shared her positive thoughts about the event. “Meet a Leader, Be a Leader was an event that I enjoyed both personally and professionally. I was able to stand beside some of my favorite peers and represent female leadership at Vanguard.  An event like this one shows that Vanguard cares about the development of young women.”

-Allison G.

If you enjoyed this post, check out more from our #LifeatVanguard Blog.  And if you’re ready for a more rewarding, engaging, meaningful career, check out our opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.

During my tenure with Vanguard, I have had the humbling opportunity to return to my alma mater several times to help recruit new talent. This was an incredibly nostalgic experience for me, as the career fair is where I gained my first impressions of Vanguard – where I would spend the next ten years of my career (and counting!). Whenever I am meeting students, explaining who Vanguard is and what we do, a question that I am inevitably asked is, “Why did you accept a job at Vanguard?” This is a great question to have when exploring employer options as it is natural to want to understand a current employee’s motivation for joining a company. That being said, there is a more illuminating question to ask. If you really want to uncover a true sense of the company culture, try asking “What made you stay at Vanguard?”

Why I stay

My answer, at least partly, is my experience with My Classroom Economy. My Classroom Economy, or MyCE for short, is a robust classroom management system that focuses on building financial literacy through experiential learning. The basic idea is that MyCE provides the resources necessary for educators to establish an “economy” in their classroom that is interactive, ongoing, and builds essential financial skills. The economy created in the classroom introduces and reinforces basic financial topics such as receiving a paycheck, saving, and spending. In addition, students get to experience paying rent, buying insurance, and budgeting. The entire program is entirely free to use and totally customizable to each classroom’s needs.

Why it matters to me

This particular outreach from Vanguard into the community is important to me because of the mission and its connection to my own life. My mother was an elementary school teacher for her entire career and I witnessed first-hand the impact that an educator can have on their students outside of traditional school curriculum topics. By engaging with MyCE and giving back to educators, I’m able to help contribute to the effectiveness of teachers across the country.

What I do for MyCE

In addition to providing the materials via our website, Vanguard’s North Carolina campus takes a further step into the community by hosting My Classroom Economy Day with a local school each year. This year, I had the privilege of leading the event and facilitating a field trip to our campus. In September, 80 fifth grade students from Shamrock Gardens Elementary School in Charlotte, NC joined us for a day of fun and learning. Our students picked from several career tracks and earned paychecks by participating in small groups with different areas of our business. They were offered the ability to buy insurance, and those who didn’t had to surrender some of their earned “money” when a natural disaster struck later in the day. They were then able to use their earned money to bid on auction items to take home with them. They also participated in a hands-on activity regarding professional presence that taught lessons about how their actions and words with classmates can have unintended consequences. This keynote event was a culmination of a year of planning by my team of volunteers and left a lasting impression on the students and those of us, nearly 40 in total, who worked to make this day possible.

So as you explore careers on your journey, remember to find ways to uncover a company’s true culture by asking the right questions. You may come to find that the work you do for a company is only half of the reason for starting your career there and the rest may be opportunities like My Classroom Economy. MyCE is just the tip of the iceberg for reasons why my peers and I choose to work for Vanguard.

-AJ W.

Want to learn more about My Classroom Economy? Check out these videos! And if you’re seeking an environment where you can make a difference and develop professionally, check out our career opportunities at www.vanguardjobs.com.