Aspiring business economist sets in motion financial literacy programs for today’s youth

DES MOINES, IOWA, UNITED STATES, October 21, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- “Alyceson-Grace has an irresistible enthusiasm for learning and life,” said Cheryl O’Donoghue, CEO at Aspire2STEAM. “She has a strong belief in being self-sufficient which fuels her passion for studying economics and putting what she’s learned, including pivotal life lessons, into tutoring youth and creating programs to boost their financial literacy.”

Having a college education is an important value for Alyceson-Grace, which she shares with her family who are all educated with at least a bachelor’s degree. But a family tragedy, the sudden passing of her father, thrusted her into a situation where being able to afford a college education seemed out of reach…but not for long.

Alyceson-Grace worked hard to secure scholarships and grants and earned her bachelor’s degree with summa cum laude honors and zero debt. Her hustle and drive to earn money to do what she loved—continue her education—she credits to her late father who possessed the same talent. But she also recognized how important it is to be fiscally responsible while pursuing your dreams and how easy it can be to make choices that can lead to financial hardship.

Because of her deep interest in self-sufficiency, especially in terms of becoming a financially independent person, Alyceson-Grace majored in business economics and was very active in numerous extracurricular activities while she completed her undergraduate degree. She served as the Chapter President for Alpha Kappa Psi Professional Business Fraternity, Chi Omega. She also served as the Hostess and Secretary for the Epsilon Mu chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

“I feel better about myself when I’m educated on a topic,” said Alyceson-Grace. “It helps me be better prepared to listen and understand the people around me, and that allows me to be my best self. When I learn something new, I feel like I have one more tool to better understand the world around me.”

Alyceson-Grace’s love of learning also extends to topics outside of school. She has enjoyed writing for as long as she can remember but didn’t think she was good at it because she struggled to understand English Language Arts when she was a child. Alyceson-Grace remembered, “My dad would teach me how to write books, since he was self-published, and I always wanted to take after him. I helped him with his advertisements for business promotions, wrote “articles” to the Dallas Morning News, created written stories about my favorite video game characters, and even submitted a pitch to Nintendo regarding my video game ideas. What I have come to learn is that I am a writer, not because I’m a published author, but because I could use my writing to bring joy to the people around me.”

Currently, Alyceson-Grace is pursuing a Master of Science in Economics at University of North Texas and has recently launched a new business—The ECON Queen—where she provides tutoring as well as financial literacy and life skills education to youth and young adults. She said, “I want to give someone hope that there is a better future and better life out there for all of us. I want to hopefully inspire someone to not give up hope no matter what financial hardships come their way.”

ABOUT…

Aspire2STEAM.org is a charitable 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We provide scholarships and mentoring to young women and girls who are working hard—aspiring—to achieve careers that require education in science, tech, engineering, the arts, or math…and they could really use a hand up over the incredible barriers of student debt and rising education costs, and the real, ever-present opportunity barriers that keep them out of most male-dominated industries. These young women are doing their part, let’s help them by doing ours.

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Cheryl O'Donoghue
Aspire2STEAM
+1 630-253-8861
Cheryl@Aspire2STEAM.org
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Alyceson-Grace Eke, Aspire2Steam.org Scholarship Recipient