FREE Workshop: Paying for College

There have been some changes to the way high school students apply to FAFSA. Families need to know what the changes are, what the important dates not to miss are, and how to get students graduated from college not mired in debt.

Financial education speaker and the author of “10 Things College Students Need to Know About Money” Shay Olivarria will be facilitating a FREE workshop in San Diego, CA to help families figure it all out.

In this dynamic one hour workshop students and parents will learn about the changes to the FAFSA application, scholarships, student loan types, and repayment options.

Families will leave with a handout of important terms, tips, and dates. Graduating from college is not just about having the grades to get in. It’s about finding a school that’s a good fit, paying for it without going broke, and creating a network to build a career.

FAQs

What can I bring into the event?

Bring a pen or pencil. This is a workshop (you’ll be engaged) not a lecture.

How can I contact the organizer with any questions?

Call (323) 596-1843

What’s the refund policy?

Early Bird ticket holders will receive a free copy of “10 Things College Students Need to Know About College” at the event. If you don’t show, you don’t get your copy. Books will NOT be shipped.

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?

Yes. Seating is very limited so tickets will be necessary. Showing your ticket on your phone also works (save a tree).

Is it ok if the name on my ticket or registration doesn’t match the person who attends?

Yes. Whoever shows up needs access to a ticket. If you booked a ticket for yourself and now your cousin wants to come instead, that’s fine.

 

 

Shay Olivarria is the most dynamic financial education speaker working today. Previous clients include: SCE Credit Union, American Airlines Credit Union, the Yorba Linda Water District, Verizon, among others. She has written three books on personal finance, including Amazon Best Seller “Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook”. Shay has been quoted on Bankrate.com, FoxBusiness.com, NBC Latino and The Credit Union Times.The 2nd edition of “10 Things College Students Need to Know About Money” is available now.

 

 

Adelante Mujer Latina 2014

Financial education speaker Shay Olivarria taking a break from speaking during the Adelante Mujer Latina Conference at Pasadena City College.

This is the second year that I have volunteered at the Adelante Mujer Latina Conference at Pasadena City College. I enjoy it a little more each time.

Can you tell that Shay LOVES her work! #FinancialEducation #Conference #Goodtimes

I can’t wait to see what next year brings!

 

Shay Olivarria is the most dynamic financial education speaker working today. She speaks at high schools, colleges, and companies across the country. She has written three books on personal finance, including Amazon Best Seller “Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook”. Shay has been quoted on Bankrate.com, FoxBusiness.com, NBC Latino and The Credit Union Times, among others. To schedule Shay to speak at your event visit www.BiggerThanYourBlock.com

Latino Author Summit 2014

This year that Latino Author Summit was held at CSU San Bernardino. There were authors, there were activities for the kidlets, there was singing, there was dancing and there were plenty of workshops.

Financial education speaker and author Shay Olivarria speaks during the panel on financial education for Latino youth.

The panelists pose for a photo at the Latino Author Summit.

Adelante Mujer Latina 2014

It’s official!

The most dynamic financial education speaker working today, Shay Olivarria, is slotted to speak at Adelante Mujer Latina 2014!

 

The conference will be held at Pasadena City College Saturday, May 17th.  

Workshops presented by Latina professionals on education, careers, financial aid and personal development.

Keynote Speakers representing California’s influential Latinas

Representatives from colleges, universities, community organizations, corporate and government employers

Spanish language workshops designed for mothers 

Registration fee — includes continental breakfast, lunch, and conference materials

Last year’s students loved Shay’s presentation:

 

Register your students at AdelanteMujerLatina.org.

 

Shay Olivarria is the most dynamic financial education speaker working today. She speaks at high schools, colleges, and companies across the country. She has written three books on personal finance, including Amazon Best Seller “Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook”. Shay has been quoted on Bankrate.com, FoxBusiness.com, NBC Latino and The Credit Union Times, among others. To schedule Shay to speak at your event visit www.BiggerThanYourBlock.com

 

Shay Olivarria Quoted on FoxBusiness.com

Financial education speaker and author Shay Olivarria was quoted about credit unions on FoxBusiness.com.

As you know, Shay Olivarria and Bigger Than Your Block have always been huge advocates of credit unions. If you are thinking about moving from a traditional bank to a credit union, here’s an article to help you think through your options. Want the short version? Read Shay’s quote below:

Many credit unions have programs to coach you through saving, reducing debt, saving for short-term and intermediate goals, and investing for retirement, says Shay Olivarria, author of “10 Things College Students Need to Know About Money.”

“Not only will they help you get where you want to be, you’ll understand how you got there and why it’s important to stay there,” Olivarria says.

Read more: http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2012/08/20/what-to-look-for-in-credit-union-checking/#ixzz248w0oDdq

Shay Olivarria is the most dynamic financial education speaker working today. She speaks at high schools, colleges, and companies across the country. She has written three books on personal finance, including Amazon Best Seller “Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook”. Shay has been quoted on Bankrate.com, FoxBusiness.com, NBC Latino and The Credit Union Times, among others. To schedule Shay to speak at your event visit www.BiggerThanYourBlock.com

Money Mistakes on Retail Me Not

The dumbest thing Shay ever did with money is a story told at RetailMeNot.com.

Financial Education Speaker & Author Shay Olivarria’s whole career has been built on sharing the mistakes she made with others in hope that those mistakes could be avoided by others. Now, she shares the biggest money mistake of her life with Emma Johnson at Retail Me Not.

Smart people make dumb mistakes all the time. That’s why they’re smart—they learn from their mistakes. Even smarter? Learning from other people’s mistakes! Instead of screwing up your own finances, check out these doozies committed by financial professionals.

Read the article here http://theinsider.retailmenot.com/money-lessons.html

Finding Love Magazine

Read about Shay's journey to self-love on page 14.

 

Financial education speaker and author Shay Olivarria is featured in this month’s Finding Love Magazine. She talks about sticking out from her peers and being kind of … odd.

Shay Olivarria is a wonderful, loving person. She’s run her own financial education business, Bigger Than Your Block, for five years. She’s earned an undergraduate degree and studied for a graduate degree. She’s traveled to nine countries on three continents. By every definition she’s accomplished, so why didn’t she love herself?

 

 

 

Turn to page 14 and check out Shay’s article in Finding Love Magazine this month.

I’m working through my issues. They are definitely not over yet, maybe they never will be. I’m better than I was, though and that’s all that matters to me. I’m still considered strange to most people I meet. I still have to give myself pep talks before I step on stage. My jokes still fall flat sometimes, but who cares? We’re all works in progress and right now I’m having a great time settling into myself.

 

 

 

Shay Olivarria is the most dynamic financial education speaker working today. She speaks at high schools, colleges, and companies across the country. She has written three books on personal finance, including Amazon Best Seller “Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook”. Shay has been quoted on Bankrate.com, FoxBusiness.com, and The Credit Union Times, among others. To schedule Shay to speak at your event visit www.BiggerThanYourBlock.com

NBC Latino

Shay Olivarria was interviewed by NBC Latino! Whoo hoo!

 

We’re so proud that Shay Olivarria was interviewed by Kristina Puga of NBC Latino for this article with tips about dealing with the possible doubling of the student loan interest rate that’s coming July 1. Read it and share it!

 

Shay Olivarria is the most dynamic financial education speaker working today. She speaks at high schools, colleges, and companies across the country. She has written three books on personal finance, including Amazon Best Seller “Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook”. Shay has been quoted on Bankrate.com, FoxBusiness.com, and The Credit Union Times, among others. To schedule Shay to speak at your event visit www.BiggerThanYourBlock.com

Millennials and Financial Literacy

Just read this article in USA Today about young people that have graduated from college and are flying through life with little knowledge of personal finance. It doesn’t surprise me because this article just came out from Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) that ranks each state in two categories: knowledge of personal finance concepts and application of those concepts in everyday life.

$15 on Amazon

Buy a copy of 10 Things College Students Need to Know About Money for the student in your life.

The parental instinct to provide for your children can actually be detrimental to preparing them to be financially independent. Beacham says it’s an “unintended consequence” that leaves adult children unprepared to handle their own finances. “You feel like a good parent if you’re taking care of your child,” she says. “(But) the reason kids on college campuses don’t know anything about money is because they have no skin in the game because their parents are still paying. Their child is going to pay a much higher price for the lack of experience and knowledge they have on graduation day.”

So what can parents do to help students learn about personal finance? Take advantage of teachable moments, attend events that reinforce financial education principles, and provide resources to help students understand personal finance concepts.

 

Shay Olivarria is the most dynamic financial education speaker working today. She speaks at high schools, colleges, and companies across the country. She has written three books on personal finance, including Amazon Best Seller “Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook”. Shay has been quoted on Bankrate.com, FoxBusiness.com, and The Credit Union Times, among others. To schedule Shay to speak at your event visit www.BiggerThanYourBlock.com

Allensworth Juneteenth Celebration

Col. Allensworth created the town of Allensworth, CA. It was a town founded in 1908, with the idea that African Americans could own property, learn, thrive, and live the American Dream. Every year they have several events to celebrate and commemorate this town.

Saturday, June 9th from 10am to 4pm Shay Olivarria of Bigger Than Your Block will attending the Allensworth celebration of Juneteenth in Allensworth, CA. She’s pleased to be presenting a lecture on financial education among Blacks.  The town was founded by Col. Allensworth because he believed that Blacks needed to be financially independent. He envisioned a town with it’s own school, businesses, and a college. The water turned brackish and people left, but the park has been turned into a state park.

Click the photo to visit the park’s page.

Of course it’s a celebration of enslaved Africans finally being made aware that freedom had come, but it’s also a celebration of our survival. As we remember how far we’ve come, it’s important to plan for the future. Working towards owning businesses, increasing our networth, and passing on our wealth to our children has got to become paramount.

The day will include entertainment for all, food, and of course some great speakers. Shay Olivarria will sell copies of her three books on site or buy them beforehand and have her sign them at the event. Either way, come on out and help celebrate the beauty of Black folks in America June 9th in Allensworth, Ca.

Book Shay Olivarria to speak at your event.

Shay Olivarria is the most dynamic financial education speaker working today. She speaks at high schools, colleges, and companies across the country. She has written three books on personal finance, including Amazon Best Seller “Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook”. Shay has been quoted on Bankrate.com, FoxBusiness.com, and The Credit Union Times, among others. To schedule Shay to speak at your event visit www.BiggerThanYourBlock.com.

ACS Financial Education Event

 

Shay Olivarria was the keynote at the ACS Financial Education event in New York City April 11, 2011. The event was held at The Children’s Place on 1st Ave and 28th. Everyone had a great time! There were some great vendors at the event:

CheckSpring (community) Bank – They are a local community bank that’s mission is to provide financial services to the local community. They have branches in Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx.

Department of Consumer Affairs – They have loads of good things going on, but the thing that really stood out was the Safe Start Program. If you can’t open an account at a financial institution because you’re on ChexSystems you might be able through this program. Through the Save USA Program you may also be able to earn $500  for letting your tax  return grow in an approved financial institution.

Henkels & McCoy – They provide job services to 17 to 21 year olds that are not enrolled in school.

IRS – Darrell Weinberg talked about free  services in the city. Did you know you could get your taxes done for free.

SBA – They were on hand to answer any questions about starting a small business. Check them out if you’ve ever considered starting a business.

Candi Sparks was also there. She wrote a book called Can I Have Some Money? (Volume 3) Max Gets It! Pick up your copy for $10 on Amazon.com.

 

Need a speaker for your next financial education event? Book Shay Olivarria! Visit www.BiggerThanYourBlock.com to watch videos, read testimonials, and buy copies of 10 Things  College Students Need to Know About Money, Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook, and All My Mistakes.

Free Library of Philadelphia

Shay Olivarria with staff from the Free Library of Philadelphia.

Thursday, April 5, 2012 Shay Olivarria was pleased to present financial education workshop “Creating a Foundation for Wealth” based on her book 10 Things College Students Need to Know About Money to student-workers at the Free Library of Philadelphia. Wow! The students were so much fun! We weren’t able to film because the students were minors, but there are some comments from the evaluation to give you an idea of how the workshop went.

What was the most important thing you learned today?

“Stop being idiot and save some cash!”

“Savings and a bright, ready mind can get you ANYWHERE!”

“How to think critically about money”

“The difference between a bank and a credit union”

“Invest in retirement and have an emergency fund”

“”I learned about small opportunities that make a big difference”

“The most important thing I learned today was how I can start saving now, to benefit my future”

“Avoid fees was the most important thing I learned. The fees can add up and put you in a hole”

“You can buy stock at any age”

“I leaned about saving money and shopping smart”

Book Shay to speak at your event today.

Shay Olivarria is the most dynamic financial education speaker working today. She speaks at high schools, colleges, and companies across the country. She has written three books on personal finance, including Amazon Best Seller “Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook”. Shay has been quoted on Bankrate.com, FoxBusiness.com, and The Credit Union Times, among others. To schedule Shay to speak at your event visit www.BiggerThanYourBlock.com.

Event at Philadelphia Free Library

I’m thrilled to be presenting “Creating a Foundation for Wealth” at the Philadelphia Free Library. Creating a Foundation for Wealth Flyer.

Philadelphia Free Library

Central Branch

Thursday, April 5th

1pm – 2pm

1901 Vine Street

Philadelphia, PA 19103

Order your copy now

Order your copy of “10 Things College Students Need to Know About Money” now and bring your questions to the workshop.

Shay Olivarria is the most dynamic financial education speaker working today. She speaks at high schools, colleges, and companies across the country. She has written three books on personal finance, including Amazon Best Seller “Money Matters: The Get It Done in 1 Minute Workbook”. Shay has been quoted on Bankrate.com, FoxBusiness.com, and The Credit Union Times, among others. To schedule Shay to speak at your event visit www.BiggerThanYourBlock.com.

Cal State Long Beach

On Thursday, September 22, 2011 Shay Olivarria gave a wonderful presentation on “I Don’t Have Money to Save … and 5 Other Myths About Money” at Cal State Long Beach.

The participants really enjoyed the event. From the evaluation:
“It was awesome.”
“Love your attitude.”
“Gotta get a credit union.”

We’re still working on editing the video, but it’ll be up soon.

Read what a student said about the event.

If you’d like to book Shay to come speak at your college or other event for youth, please call (323) 596-1843.

Shay Olivarria is the most dynamic financial education speaker working today. She has written three books on personal finance, contributes to multiple online media platforms, and is a foster care alumni. She’s been quoted on Bankrate.com, FoxBusiness.com, and The Credit Union Times, among others. Visit http://www.BiggerThanYourBlock.com to find out more about her work.

What Will You Sacrifice to Get What You Want?

Today, I was reading an article about slowing down and I wanted to share it with you. Mostly, I wanted to get your feedback: what will you sacrifice to get what you want?

For some reason, people equate working hard with getting ahead. As I’ve mentioned before, that’s not how the world works. You have to work smart. You have to leverage your networks. You have to build a solid foundation for yourself and your family. The questions is …. what will you give up to create the life you want?

What’s more important, time with your loved ones or having a huge house that costs an arm and a leg in upkeep? I travel because I love having experiences. I’ve been to 9 countries (Japan, France, Netherlands, Spain, UK, Bahamas, Jamaica, Dominican Republic, and Canada) but I drive a crappy car. To me, it’s worth it. When you’re on your deathbed you probably won’t think about the reports you didn’t finish or 3% raise you got you’ll think of your experiences. I want to be able to say that my family was comfortable monetarily, but I also want to be able to say I spent time with them. I showed them that I loved them. I laughed and cried with them.

My goal is to work smarter and build the life that I want, I’m willing to forgo some of the things that people tell me I should have. What about you?

Shay Olivarria is the most dynamic financial education speaker working today. She has written three books on personal finance, contributes to multiple online media platforms, and is a foster care alumni. She’s been quoted on Bankrate.com, FoxBusiness.com, and The Credit Union Times, among others. Visit http://www.BiggerThanYourBlock.com to find out more about her work.

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