By: Brian Stevenson

In February, I had the honor of participating in the 4th Annual “Know Your Black History Tour,” held at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn.  Legendary Detroit Piston Rick Mahorn joined Rock Financial, Fathead, IBM and the Detroit Pistons-Palace Foundation to make this celebration unforgettable.  The event focused on three Detroit-area schools; Henry Ford Academy, Kettering High School and Ferguson Academy selecting their two best students to compete to win scholarships courtesy of Rock Financial and the Pistons-Palace Foundation. 

The talented students performed a three-minute interpretation of the importance of knowing black history in the art form of their choice.  Spoken word, song, dance, acting and rap were all used creatively, as students competed before peers, faculty and guest judges Cheryl Ford (Detroit Shock), Rhonda Walker (WDIV Channel 4), Rochelle Riley (Detroit Free Press) and Dr. Darrius (WJLB Radio) among other prestigious guest.  These special guests shared inspiring stories of their own personal challenges and the importance of knowing their history and using that knowledge to achieve success.  In addition to the program, all students and staff were treated to a tour of the Black History exhibits at the Henry Ford Museum, including the bus on which Rosa Parks made history. 

I was honored to share the stage with Rock Financial President and Chief Operating Officer Patrick McInnis (little did I know he would soon be joining Fathead as CEO) to emphasize the importance of having a dream, a competitive spirit and the drive to achieve them.  Rick Mahorn spoke of his own experience growing up and dealing with challenges by learning to respect himself and others.  He encouraged the students to not buy into stereotypes and to embrace their rich history.

The finalists were awarded six scholarships ranging from $500 to $5,000, plus prizes such as a Pistons Fathead wall graphic and four tickets to a Pistons game at the Palace where they would be honored at half time.  All three schools were winners as well, receiving five new laptops each, courtesy of IBM.

As I reflect on that day, the chance to speak to the students during the “Know Your Black History Tour” was one of the most satisfying experiences I have had.  I want to thank Wendy Kemp and the Quicken Loans family for inviting me and giving me the opportunity to be a part of such a great event.

By: Victoria Araj

Is it possible to have a 3-bedroom home, a sports car and a 10-day vacation planned on a $3000 monthly budget? 

Questions like this gave 40 students from the Boys & Girls Club of Flint a few hours to scratch their heads and come up with an answer.  With all of the financial news in the media, local kids are learning about money a lot earlier in life thanks to the Rock Financial Junior Achievement Park in Detroit.   Kids are like sponges, they soak up all kinds of information by learning from their environment and from example.  They can learn first-hand how to manage money, balance a budget, and ultimately be a savvy financial consumer with the right tools and resources.  On Saturday, volunteers from Quicken Loans/Rock did just that by helping the students plan a simulated monthly budget.

Finance Park has a really cool set up for the students with stations that recreate offices and storefronts that reflect real-life choices.  The students were given a life scenario, which indicated whether they were single, married, with or without children and the monthly income they had to pay their bills and save.  From obtaining a mortgage, to securing insurance to buying monthly groceries, the students had to make decisions about their expenses and not be in the red at completion.  This was quite a task for the students as they picked out a house, furniture and even cell phone plans that seemed perfect on paper but when matched with their monthly income…not so realistic.  Some of the students had to make changes by buying a cheaper car or sacrificing high-speed internet in order to balance their budgets.  It sure was an eye opener as several of the students commented that they did not realize how many decisions their parents face and how they will appreciate being a kid for a while longer!

This was a great experience because it gave the students a glimpse of the responsibilities that come along with adulthood long before they are faced with them in reality.  The kids walked away with an understanding of needs versus wants and the value of planning ahead instead of spending frivolously.  All of the volunteers had a great time helping the students and are looking forward to the next opportunity to do it again!  Quicken Loans team member Sherry Wong said, “It allowed us to take everyday expenses and inspire children to think of how to manage their financial future. It was such a fun morning, and you could tell the kids learned a lot from it.”