Students applaud Chris Taylor's work managing a financial education program
NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESS Newswire / March 21, 2025 / Chris Taylor, left, has been teaching financial education programs in Ohio schools since 2020.
Originally published on U.S. Bank company blog
When high school teacher Mason Golding recently told his students that banker Chris Taylor was coming to teach them about financial literacy, the students were disappointed -- because they would have to wait a few more days before Taylor would arrive.
"He really connects with the kids; they look forward to him coming here," said Golding, head of the Social Studies department at Horizon Science Academy High School in Columbus, Ohio. "Students who normally are not engaged or are easily distracted are hanging on every word, asking questions and participating."
The Horizon student body includes many who are in families with low incomes.
"I can't stress how impactful Chris is, especially with my demographic of students," Golding said. "Their families are working one, two, three jobs to make ends meet and these kids are watching their siblings also work to help pay bills."
Taylor, who grew up in Toledo, said he learned the importance of financial literacy when he was in the third grade and his father died.
"My mom got a job within two weeks because she knew she had to take care of us," he said. "She taught my brother and me to pay bills on time, not get behind on anything and make a budget."
Taylor was hired by U.S. Bank as a business banker in 2019. The following year, he put together a proposal to create a role teaching financial literacy to children and families in need. It was approved by senior leadership and Taylor has been teaching financial education courses to children and adults in Columbus and other Ohio cities ever since.
"He's been teaching my students for four years I am surprised every year that he does not have a background in education," Golding said. "Chris has a way of speaking and presenting information that keeps students actively engaged, something even veteran teachers struggle with."
Golding recently surveyed his students about Taylor's lessons. Here are three of the students' responses.
"What I enjoyed about Chris and his presentations was that he was always prepared to answer even the most difficult questions. He wasn't there just to be there. He was there for us."
"It was honestly awesome because he explained it in a way that was easy to understand. It was very helpful and is doing us justice because going into the world with this information will put us ahead of everyone else."
"I really enjoyed how Chris helped us understand very complex topics by using analogies and personal experiences. I also really enjoyed how interactive his presentations were with the whole class."
When Taylor initially created his financial education role, he worked under Dee O'Dell, head of Business Banking Sales, who quickly became one of Taylor's biggest supporters.
"We gave him a license to go create something, knowing full well that if it didn't work or didn't have legs, he could come back to Business Banking," O'Dell said. "He was a very effective banker, but he is also very passionate about doing something to help the community. He sets very high goals for himself and the students he helps."
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SOURCE: US Bank
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