Mathematics Teachers Attend MoneyPower Conference at FINRA

Mount Saint Mary Academy Mathematics teachers, Caitlyn Angrosina and Malgorzata Milej, attended the MoneyPower Conference on December 5, at the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) in New York City.

 

Their participation in the conference came shortly after the Academy’s Administration learned that Stephen Muratore, Mathematics and Computer Science Department Chairperson), had been granted the W!se (Working Together in Support of Education) Gold Star Teacher Award and that the Mount received Platinum Star Designation for the second consecutive year for excellence in financial literacy education.

 

W!se is a leading educational nonprofit based in New York City with a mission to improve the lives of young people and at-risk adults through programs that develop financial literacy and readiness for college and the workforce.

 

“As part of my work teaching Financial Math at the high school level, I attended the conference which I found to be a truly valuable experience,” said Ms. Milej. “The guest speakers covered practical financial topics such as retirement planning, understanding Bitcoin, and making wise long-term money decisions.”

 

“One of the most impactful points discussed was how many adults struggle with debt simply because financial math was never offered to them in high school,” she added. “This is something that reinforces how important this course is for students now. I also appreciated the lesson plan we worked on in groups on buying a car, which directly connects to concepts like interest rates and financing options that my students need to understand in real life.”

 

Ms. Milej concluded, “I left with concrete strategies to help students make informed choices, avoid unnecessary debt, and see how math supports responsible financial decision making. I’m excited to bring these insights back to the classroom to strengthen their financial literacy and confidence.”

 

“I was able to see how important it is for schools to offer a financial literacy program to students,” added Ms. Angrosina. “One of the key concepts that was discussed and stood out to me was how much more an adult would be in debt if they are not exposed to important financial literacy topics in school. As an educator, I want to make sure that I set all of my students up for success, but if these important financial literacy topics are not discussed in the classroom, it can have a big impact on their futures as they venture into adulthood.”

 

Ms. Angrosina said, “I am happy to be a part of the Mount community where financial literacy classes are offered to our students. I am looking forward to taking what I have learned at the conference and implementing more financial literacy topics into my math lessons.”