Paying It Forward in Financial Literacy

“College, college, college.” Those were among the first understood words of Don Fleet, ’70, as his grandmother and a grandfather, an aunt, his mother and his older sister were Heidelberg graduates.

Hailing from a small, rural town, Don was naïve when he entered Heidelberg, virtually unacquainted with the real world. But that changed when he settled at Heidelberg, which he describes as “the perfect environment to gain maturity while being introduced to reality at a gradual pace.”

Don observed the stellar professionalism of the Yanneys, Kramers, Steeles, Klopfensteins, Getzes, Goodwins, Grudens and Rocks, among others. These role models jump-started his adult life. “Hardly a day goes by that I don’t in some fashion remember them. God bless them and Heidelberg for that influence,” he says.

Don appreciates our students’ financial concerns, including student debt. Wanting to see students develop financial savvy early on in life, he’s collaborating with Dr. Scott Johnson, dean of the School of Business & Technology, to launch the personal financial literacy program. Students will learn personal finance principles to control debt and to get a head start on creating their personal wealth.

The program will blend mentors and internships with class work to spawn financial literacy. Students will cultivate skills to reach their financial as well as personal, family and professional goals. “Heidelberg’s School of Business & Technology, under Dr. Johnson’s innovative direction, will infuse a personal financial literacy core so students can discover how to accomplish their goals,” Don says.

He’s taking these steps now in honor of his mentors. “I have given and I will continue to give, paying it forward for those fortunate enough to follow.”