The Northwestern University Up to Us core team is composed of executive board members of the Northwestern Chapter of Moneythink. Moneythink is a nationwide philanthropic movement of young people working to restore the economic health of the United States through financial education. Up to Us aligns directly with the Moneythink mission of combating financial illiteracy and encouraging our generation to speak up about important issues. We are passionate about economic education and developing deeper relationships within our community, and Up to Us further ignites this passion.

The debt level has always been a central determinant of politics, debate, and policy, of course, and yet it has somehow always managed to remain in the periphery of our vision of the future. It seems as though the federal debt has invariably never truly been the ill or hot-button issue to solve. Up to Us is a nationwide initiative to not only thrust the debt into the forefront, but to channel that transition through the generation of citizens that will be most affected by it.

The Net Impact Conference motivated us to inspire discussion across our campus and throughout our nation. Spending time with other like-minded college students who showed similar enthusiasm gave a deep sense to what we might, as a collective group of 25 schools, be able to achieve. Developing relationships with peers and competitors during that week sparked imagination within our team, and continued communication since the conference continues to stimulate the feeling of collectivity. After attending the Net Impact Conference it became clear that, through competition and collaboration, all team members would grow as effective leaders and as people, growing our colleges and communities simultaneously.

The level of competition we all experience on an academic and professional level is rigorous. It is a common occurrence to work hard, apply exhaustively, and be spread too thin. However, Up to Us gives us a chance for to focus in on something we so deeply and genuinely care about. We understood that this was an opportunity for engagement outside the Moneythink classroom. We feel strongly that this competition has the potential for incredible things. Over the upcoming weeks, we will take advantage of our passions and skill sets and the agency Up to Us provides to inspire Moneythink students, our community, and the nation.