Are We Setting Up Our Youth for Financial Failure?

I recently had the honor of speaking to a group of young adults at the Chicago Urban League, invited by a former student. I walked in with a mission: to tell them the truth that too many adults are sugarcoating. It wasn’t long before the room got uncomfortable, but not for me.

I had to let them know that the career paths many chose—modeling, art, social work, and other low-paying fields—were financial bologna.

Career interests listed by young adults at Chicago Urban League. 

They aren’t ready for the real world because they aren’t preparing for it, and life would be hard if they continued down that path without a plan.

They aren’t prepared because we aren’t being up front and urgent about it.

As a mathematician and an adult who had to build success from the dirt, I understand the mathematics of financial security, success, and mindset. What I told them wasn’t glamorous, and it wasn’t designed to make them feel good—it was designed to wake them up.

I told them they needed a solid goal with a sound plan and the discipline to work it. If they have the opportunity to stay at home with their parents or family, they should take it and save aggressively. In fact, they should be saving at least 10% of every penny, even if it’s just a penny. Because the reality is, financial security isn’t a mystery; it’s math.

I wanted them to understand the racial wealth gap and the prediction that by 2053, the median wealth of Black people in America could drop to $0. That’s not just an economic crisis—it’s a warning.

And as young adults, 18-25 years old, they are at a critical moment where every decision they make will either push them toward financial stability or lock them into financial struggle.

This means choosing careers wisely.

It means learning how to invest and understanding the long-term return on their money and hard work.

It means choosing solid, financially stable careers in fields like financial forensics, medicine, engineering, trades, and technology—careers that will allow them to build wealth, not just scrape by, begging others to give them jobs.

Too many young Black adults are steered into social services fields that, while noble, don’t pay enough to break the cycle of financial struggle. They need to know that.

They need to understand the financial mathematics of buying a home, building equity, and starting a business. They must understand EBITDA, KPIs, and how to read a profit-and-loss statement. These aren’t just business buzzwords; they’re math and more importantly, the keys to financial independence.

Some in the room wanted to know my story—how I got started, what I had to do to get here. I told them plainly: “My past will now help your future. But understand this—things were easier for me than they will be for you.” That truth hit hard for some. One student even cried. And I get it—the reality of their situation is heavy. But too many adults are being too nice, feeding them empty platitudes like “follow your heart” or “follow your passion.” That’s nonsense.

Passions are for hobbies. Careers are for building wealth.

Congratulations if you’re fortunate enough to have your passion aligned with a profitable career. But for most people, the hard truth is that financial freedom comes from strategy, not sentiment.

The young adults I spoke with don’t have the luxury of making financial mistakes they can’t afford. They have to start thinking differently now.

The world is only getting harder for them. That’s why I told them what I did. And that’s why I’m saying it here.

Are we being mathematically honest with our young people? Or are we setting them up to fail with comforting lies?