It is always a pleasure to get members of the larger community into EGHS classrooms to share their expertise with students and have them contribute to the outstanding work our faculty members do on a daily basis. These partnerships provide our students with authentic learning experiences that further develop their knowledge, skills, and curiosities. Most recently, Richard McDonald--a recent Brown graduate and co-founder of Finnest (a mobile app and secure debit card designed to give kids first-hand experience handling money) worked with Mrs. Page and her Entrepreneurship classes. Below is his perspective about the time he spent at EGHS. It is being shared with permission. Our thanks to our students, Mrs. Page, and Mr. McDonald for sharing their learning experiences with us.
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I was honored to have been invited by Pat Page (Mrs. Page to her students) to work with two (2) East Greenwich High School (EGHS) entrepreneurship classes. It was great to be able to interact with a smart group of driven students. I can’t believe that EGHS is offering such an innovative class in their curriculum. The content of the course is relevant and thorough. They’re learning about entrepreneurship and business models from top to bottom--an invaluable education for students who take this class. I also have to mention that Mrs. Page is the type of teacher one grows up to remember. She sought and encouraged the participation of every student, she made them think, and she helped them think--deeply.
As a recent college graduate, I can still remember what it was like to be a high-school student -- to seek relevance in my learning and work. I think the content of our time and work together was relevant. We reviewed and co-developed financial models, refined marketing strategies, and discussed my education and professional experience. I think our conversations helped the students realize that they’re not too far away from being able to realize their vision for their products. which were practical, and for the most part, attainable.Given that these students are exactly the age of the customers who use my company’s product, they were also able to give me valuable commentary on my own product, which makes my company much better for listening.
At the end of the day, I hope these students realize that if they have the desire to build out a product, they are completely capable of realizing their vision. It’s not an easy road, a much longer road than expected, but there are steps they can take to maximize the likelihood of success. And, they’re learning all about those steps in a fantastic classroom environment where they are exposed to the fundamentals of business and hear advice from, and get motivated by, classroom guest entrepreneurs who have experienced it before.
Richard McDonald is a graduate of Brown University's PRIME -- Program in Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship master degree. He co-founded Finnest, a mobile app and secure debit card designed to give kids first-hand experience handling money and parents the ability to maintain control while still setting their children up for a better financial future.
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