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I used to be terrible at math. My brain just didn’t work that way. I remember being in school and having anxiety leading up to math class, during math class, and after class, too. I didn’t know why it gave me so much anxiety at the time, but it made me think “well, I am just bad at math and I will never understand it.”
Recent studies have shown that for many people, math fears can be traced back to elementary school, and specifically, to timed tests and forced memorization. Neuroscientists have shown recently that for people with math anxiety, a fear center lights up in their brain — the same as when they see snakes and spiders — and the problem-solving center of the brain shuts down.
The research also shows that the anxiety and stress over math can then impact students' ability to learn and participate in other classes. Mindless memorization and timed tests can make girls feel stressed and anxious....and make them think they are just bad at math. They may even start to feel less confident in other classes because of it.
Nobody ever told me there was a different way to learn math.
Nobody ever taught me about budgeting, saving, investing and basic financial decision making – all of which would have helped me greatly in being prepared for my future, and it also would have shown me a different way to learn math. One of the most common complaints students have about learning math is its lack of relevance to their lives outside school. When they fail to see the importance of math to their current and future lives, they often lose interest.
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As the Creative Director and Designer for Rock The Street, Wall Street, I am lucky that I was finally able to find a way to learn math that worked for me. I ended up studying graphic design in college... and now I can measure in picas, build things to scale, even use the Golden Ratio, which is a design concept based on using the Fibonacci sequence, (which has application, too in option trading as our Founder, Maura Cunningham, brought to my attention) to create visually appealing proportions (The Apple logo is a great example). I thought I was terrible at basic math and NEVER thought I could understand and even use such advanced concepts. But in the right context, it made sense to me, it made me eager to want to learn more. And it made me more confident. It even made me feel like I could even learn how to code (which I did).
I may not have ended up in finance, but the work we do at Rock The Street, Wall Street still resonates with me. RTSWS familiarizes girls with math concepts without undue pressure and even provides female financial professionals who serve as live role models and show them what their future could look like.
Girls’ trepidation about math has very little to do with their ability and more with how it’s taught in US schools. We hope to see Rock The Street, Wall Street in even more schools so we can improve how girls approach math, and see them grow up to be successful, confident, and financially prepared women.
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1,000+ Students Enrolled This YearWe are proud to announce that Rock the Street, Wall Street has surpassed 1,000+ girls enrolled in our program this year. Located in 27 cities and 52 schools across the U.S. and Canada.
Huge thanks to our sponsors, mentors, volunteers, champion teachers, employees, and students for getting us there!
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JOIN US AT SXSW EDU 2022!
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We're going to SXSW EDU 2022! RTSWS's panel, "Changing Girls' Mindset on Financial Education" has been selected for this year's event and we can't be more excited.
You don't want to miss out! Register to attend here. See you in Austin on March 7 - 10, 2022! Learn more about SXSW EDU here.
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STUDENT CEO SUMMIT
RTSWS had our first Student CEO Summit of the school year this week. Students from each school interviewed for the role of Student CEO and some of them have even been hosts of our Instagram Takeovers, help with student recruitment and attendance as well.
Featured speaker, Stacy Havener, founder, and CEO of Havener Capital Partners LLC and Rock the Street, Wall Street volunteer, had a blast sharing her experiences and professional insight with the Student CEOs.
We're excited for our second Student CEO Summit on Nov 15, with RTSWS Board Member Meredith Jones as our featured speaker.
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PICS FROM FALL 2021 RTSWS CLASSROOMS
We are excited to be back in the classroom!
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Left: Sharpstown High School, Houston, TX Middle: Gallatin High School, Nashville, TN
Right: Central High School, Newark, NY
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Our founder is looking forward to attending the 2021 CFA Society New York Annual Dinner on October 28 and catching up with many RTSWS friends and volunteers there! If you'll be there too, drop by to visit with Maura Cunningham prior to the dinner. Email us here to get the details.
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RUN, DON'T WALK TO READ UNDIVERSIFIED!
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"This book is one of the most valuable and eye-opening I've read on the issue of gender diversity in the finance industry. It stands at the center of why RTSWS strives to spark girls' interest at a critical juncture in their lives, expanding their perceptions of what a person who works in finance looks like beyond the traditional stereotypes.
Undiversified perfectly unravels the barriers that discourage women from entering and staying in the finance industry. Using wide-ranging research and interviews with prospective, current, and former industry practitioners, Ellen and Katrina diagnose the problem and provide actionable solutions."- Maura Cunningham, Founder and CEO of Rock the Street, Wall Street
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More students from our 52 high schools across the country and Canada will take over the RTSWS Instagram account over the next few months. So be sure to follow us and stay tuned for our next takeover. Here are our upcoming Instagram Takeover dates:
Upcoming Instagram Takeover Schedule
11/9: Raeyan & Caira, Atlanta Girls School (Field Trip), Atlanta, GA, Roark Capital
11/16: Marilyn S., Stuyvesant, NY, NY, Invesco
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Find new opportunities and source emerging financial talent!
For more information on how to place your company ad or help accessing the jobs listed, contact us.
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Network with us on LinkedIn!
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