Meet Raquel Grindley | Activist, Educator, Change-Agent

We had the good fortune of connecting with Raquel Grindley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Raquel, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
The thought process behind starting OPTIONS Program Inc was the desire to generate avenues for generational wealth in traditionally marginalized communities. I figured that if the children of these communities learned financial literacy and post-secondary planning, they could use those skills to break their families’ cycle of generational poverty, and build habits that began a cycle of generational wealth. As I reflected on the lack of college and career counseling in the public school were I worked, and the similar circumstances of my colleagues in other public schools in poor communities, I decided to be the change I wanted to see in the world of public education.

Essentially, I became the unofficial college and career counselor for my roster of students by infusing financial literacy and college and career readiness into the required English Language Arts curriculum, I helped my students create an individualized 5-year plan which outlined their desired academic and professional goals. I taught them how to use backwards-planning to map the steps necessary to meet milestones toward their goal-achievement. What began as a desire to serve my community developed into a successful, purpose-driven non-profit organization.

What should our readers know about your business?
The mission of OPTIONS Program Inc is to provide students with the tools necessary to gain financial freedom through post-secondary readiness and financial literacy instruction. It is designed specifically for at-risk students who have suffered the consequences of generational poverty, so these children can learn and practice habits necessary for to establish generational wealth. Over the last 15 years, OPTIONS Program Inc has grown from a 4-week curriculum to a 6-month program that has provided post-secondary readiness instruction to hundreds of students in the NYC and metro Atlanta areas. We are the only program that provides a post-secondary readiness curriculum which includes financial literacy, soft skill development, and an individualized 5-year post-secondary plan for each participant.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This shoutout is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Sadie Tanner Mossell Alexander and her desire to see economic justice in African-American communities. She was the first woman in the nation to earn a doctoral degree in economics, and for over 60 years, spoke passionately about how Black communities could use group economics to stimulate generational wealth, even in the face of income inequality on the macroeconomy. Her trailblazing continued with becoming the first black woman admitted to the University of Pennsylvania Law School and the Pennsylvania Bar. With her knowledge of economics and civil rights law, she continued her activism as an advocate against racial discrimination, segregation, and employment inequality. For me, she is a constant, ringing reminder that investing the financial literacy of the adolescents of a community is vital to the community’s prolonged economic growth.

Website: www.msgsclassroom.com