Los Angeles City College students attended the in-person “Understanding Money" workshop during lunchtime. An upcoming workshop will take place online.In these challenging times, the need for reliable local reporting has never been greater. Put a value on the impact of our year-round coverage. Help us continue to highlight LA stories, hold the powerful accountable, and amplify community voices. Your support keeps our reporting free for all to use. Stand with us today.
The lunchtime event was the second of two 90-minute sessions, which covered everything from personal spending to saving up for retirement.“My hope is that, at the end of two sessions, can say, ‘I can do this,’” said Bruce Miller, who taught the workshop. He is now retired after a career in marketing and advertising. Miller has hosted similar courses at community colleges and universities across the country, including Stanford and Dartmouth, his alma maters.
But, he told LAist, “I want them to be able to think: ‘Even on a very modest budget, I can get some breathing room by cutting back a little on things.” Part of his motivation for attending the workshop was to learn more about how to invest his profits. He also appreciated learning about, along with Miller’s emphasis on “giving back when you can.” To that end, Knox is planning to team up with a nonprofit to distribute smoothies to unhoused Angelenos in mid-April. “To be able to give is always a blessing,” he said.Patricia De Peralta is a finance student at Los Angeles City College.
“And so, the money stuff can wait,” Miller added. “I tell them: ‘Learn the tools now. Enjoy your time as a student, because it is a precious time in your life. And then, armed with the knowledge down the road, when you have the job and the time is right, you can apply the things that you learned here.”Community colleges can be a gateway for students, whether they’re continuing their education or looking for a fresh start.