Why Every Student Needs Financial Literacy

📚 Small-Town Roots, Big Lessons | Service, Teaching & Financial Literacy | Highlight Reel

How can one teacher change an entire community? In this highlight from Roots & Branches of Lehi, Gig Griffith shares a lifetime of lessons about education, service, and preparing young people for success far beyond the classroom.

Growing up in a small town taught Gig that lasting relationships are built through shared experiences. After a successful business career—including helping transform customer service into a profit center at Novell—he followed a new calling into education, where he discovered the greatest investment wasn't in products, but in people.

From promoting internships for future teachers to establishing trust with students and parents through clear expectations, Gig explains why meaningful education begins with strong relationships. He also reflects on Utah's nationally recognized financial literacy efforts, sharing how practical money skills can help families avoid debt, make wiser financial decisions, and build a more secure future.

Beyond academics, Gig encourages students to read widely, develop public speaking skills, strengthen their mental math abilities, and learn that there is often more than one right solution. He also celebrates the diversity of public education, the value of service—including donating a kidney—and the importance of helping every student find a place where they belong.

It’s a powerful reminder that education isn't just about earning good grades—it's about building capable, compassionate people who strengthen their families and communities.

📌 Love stories about education, leadership, and the people shaping the next generation? Follow for more highlights and full episodes of Roots & Branches of Lehi, brought to you by Work Hard Mortgage.

🏡 At Work Hard Mortgage, we believe in that same principle: stronger communities are built when people invest in each other and put down roots where they live.

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• 00:00 – Small-Town Roots
• 00:08 – An Unusual Name
• 00:28 – Leaving Home & Coming Back
• 00:42 – From Business to Service & Education
• 01:09 – Teaching Through Trust
• 01:40 – Utah's Financial Literacy Mission
• 02:39 – Learning Through Failure
• 03:37 – Recognizing Student Success
• 04:26 – Essential Skills for Life
• 05:31 – The Value of Public Schools
• 05:57 – Service, Giving & Donating a Kidney
• 06:38 – Helping Students Stay in the Game
• 06:52 – A Message of Hope

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Financial Literacy • Personal Finance Education • Teacher Impact Stories • Student Success • Public Education • Service & Leadership • Public Speaking Skills • Life Skills Education • Utah Financial Literacy • Community Mentorship • Kidney Donation • Roots and Branches of Lehi Podcast • Lehi Utah • Building Strong Communities • Youth Development

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