Aleyah Saved Nearly $4,000 by 4th Grade for College with SEED
Aleyah Joseph always had a smile on her face – especially when attending SEED meetings. She and her mother were active participants in the Harlem Children Zone’s SEED program, and although Aleyah’s mother had trouble staying employed, they both managed to keep saving. Through their frequent attendance at SEED meetings, Aleyah was able to earn benchmark incentives (financial rewards for high participation) to deposit in her account. By fourth grade, Aleyah had accumulated a total of $3,748 in her SEED account. In a letter, Aleyah wrote: “I want to go to college because I want to better my education.
I am a very smart and intelligent young lady and I feel like I should have nothing but the best. I want a good job and to make a lot of money.” Aleyah attends the Harlem Children Zone’s Promise Academy charter school, where her favorite subject is math. In her free time, Aleyah likes to swim, read, and play on the computer, and says she wants to be an artist or a doctor after high school.
Aleyah’s mother realized the great effect that SEED had on her family, and liked to share its impact with other families. If her mother saw other parents at school, she’d remind them of an upcoming SEED meeting and encouraged them to attend. Through SEED, Aleyah and her family learned values and skills that can lead them to a brighter economic future.
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