Janelle Seward

Financial Services Professional & Financial Literacy Advocate

Personal Notes

Being the first in my family to go away to a university, I made all of the financial mistakes an uninformed 18-year-old can make. Today, I help students avoid those mistakes and many others by assisting them to see how their college and career choices are financial decisions and teaching them how to make informed financial decisions. In my experience as a college prep and academic advisor, I witnessed how the lack of financial literacy, paired with the lack of college and career guidance, has hindered students’ success and left them unprepared to make life-altering decisions about their future. My mission is to help students get to and through college with as little debt as possible and prepare them to make sound financial decisions. If you work with teens and young adults, I would love to help you prepare them for success!

Bio

Janelle Seward is an NFEC Certified Financial Education Instructor and a change agent for youth and young adults. With 15 years of experience in Higher Education, Janelle has worked with a diverse population of students from seventh grade to college graduates in the following settings: community colleges, private and public universities, large public schools, small rural schools, middle schools, high schools, and federal and state non-profits. Mentoring dozens of students through multiple life stages between middle school to college graduate/young career professional, Janelle saw a need to fill the gaps where students were passed off. Janelle uses her insider knowledge to set students up for success in college and life. While educating students on college expenses, Janelle strategizes with them on practical ways to reduce costs and apply for scholarships. In 2021, Janelle founded TIME with Janelle, LLC, which provides college and career guidance to students through a financial literacy lens. By helping them create a life plan for success, students begin to see how their daily and more significant life-altering decisions affect their financial future. Janelle teaches students about credit, budgeting, and loans through real-life situations. When Janelle is not working with one-on-one clients, she does group presentations for high schools, colleges, and youth organizations. Janelle holds an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies and a B.A. in English, both from Iowa State University.

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