Meet the Founders

Name: Erica Butler

Hometown: Indianapolis, IN – GO COLTS!!

Education:  Ivy Tech – Candidate for Associates Degree in Human Services

Employer: Earlham College – Administrative Assistant, Biology Department

Fun Fact: I am an animal lover as well as a big sports fan, I love exploring new things and meeting new people. I am very calm and laid back, I love working with children and seeing them put what they have learn from myself or my friends and family to use or share it with others.

Why I chose to start the Future Achievers Program: I did this because I knew the need of financial literacy when I was in high school was high. Just thinking back on the things that I wish school would have taught me; made me want to make young men and women more alert and in the “know” about what is ahead of them in the future. There was no one to teach me and my parents (whom have never been to college) what FASFA was and how to apply for it or filling out a college application.  I want to be someone that teens can come to and ask for help without feeling ashamed or as if they are being judged because I have been that person myself. These young men and women are our future so we have to invest our time in them and groom them to be great men and women of our future society.

 

Name: Rachel Ulrich

Hometown: Richmond, IN

Education: Manchester College – Candidate for Bachelor’s Degree double majoring in Sociology and Peace Studies with a minor in Art

Fun Fact: I love modern dance, writing, and drinking tea

Why I chose to start the Future Achievers Program: 

I grew up in Richmond, IN, and graduated from Richmond High School in 2011. During my senior year of high school, I graduated from the Institute of Creative Leadership, a program dedicated to improving the leadership and community organizing skills of people in Wayne County. This organization brought Carl, Erica, and I together and prompted us to launch Future Achievers.

Around that time – I must confess – I felt a little stressed. I was:

  • Receiving financial aid information on loans and trying to figure out what it all meant – and if my preferred college was affordable.
  • Nervously navigating scholarship interviews.
  • Applying for a new summer job and trying determine whether to call… or not to call… the potential employer.
  • Starting a checking account for the first time and mulling through pamphlets provided by the bank, trying to discern what I really needed to read.
  • Realizing that despite having taken honors math classes and honors economics, I knew very few basic financial skills – like how to balance a check book.

My doubts and questions, combined with Erica’s experiences working at a college and Carl’s experiences as a banker, helped us to realize the great need for a program that educates young people on how to successfully navigate work, school, and finances during their teenage and young adult years. Future Achievers is the program I wish had been offered when I was in high school. I hope it empowers young people to pursue their aspirations and inspires them to assist others in doing the same.

 

Name: Carl Rhinehart III

Hometown: Muncie, IN

Education: Earlham College – Bachelor’s Degree in Business and Non-Profit Management; Keller Graduate School of Management – Master’s of Business Administration

Employer: JPMorgan Chase Bank, Main Branch Richmond IN – Personal Banker

Fun Fact: August 2012 I was cast in Richmond Civic Theatre’s production of Hairspray

Why I chose to start the Future Achievers Program: I chose to start the Future Achievers Program because  I want to share the life lessons and skills that I have learned.  It has been my observation that high school students are facing many pressures and uncertainties in life. It is my goal to help increase their confidence in themselves and to realize their full potential through the sharing of information that has been imparted to me.  I understand that I have been able to achieve success in my life, mostly because so many people have taken the time to share their wisdom with me. The future of our community rests in the hands of our young people. I want to make sure that they are equipped to navigate the challenges ahead.