First Gen Money is a personal finance platform for first-generation Americans & college graduates building generational wealth.

I’m a 27 year-old born and raised Jersey girl living in NYC. As the daughter of two immigrant, blue-collar working parents, I’ve had to navigate higher education and post-graduate career moves without any support. Things like registering for the SATs, applying for the FAFSA, and attending career fairs were not on my family’s radar.

In 2015, I graduated college with $30,000 in student loan debt and a $15/day internship. When I landed my first professional job in 2016, I didn’t know to negotiate or that I should enroll in my company sponsored 401k. Instead, I experienced lifestyle inflation and spent mindlessly.

I finally decided to take action in 2017, after realizing that one full year with a salaried position and nothing to show for it. 26 months later, in December 2019, I became debt-free having paid off the remaining $26,385 in my student loans.

Over the past few years, I’ve dived deep into the personal finance space and started to understand the importance in financial literacy.

A recent study reported that the wealth of the median Black and Latino households are projected to hit zero by 2053 and 2073 respectively, even when they’ll make up the majority of the U.S.

We need to act and we need to act NOW. Who’s ready to take their financial life to the next level?