Ernest Davis is a man who is deeply interested and knowledgeable about finance. He had always been interested in making money in the investment world. However, he never became fully invested in personal finance until after college.

“I was introduced to it by the book ‘The Richest Man in Babylon’,” Davis said. “I still use it in my classes. I was handed it on my day of college graduation by my father. This is my fifth copy. All my other copies are all worn out from use. My father’s standard graduation gift was that book, and the advice to use it well.”

Davis has made good use of the lessons and advice learned from that book. He now teaches the Principles of Business, Money Matters, Securities and Investments and the Pre-IB Business Management classes. He explains how his knowledge of personal finance has affected his life.

“I’m still learning, but I think I’m much better off because of my interest in finance,” Davis said. “From a personal standpoint, I feel that it’s hard to make a living as a teacher. You have got to have outside investments.”

Davis enjoys giving students the financial know-how that they need to live a happy and secure life. He talked about how his personal experiences have motivated him to educate others.

“I can see that some other people are struggling because they don’t have the investments. I wish I could encourage more people to invest,” Davis said. “I look at the world around me and see too many people that don’t know how to handle their money. I’m trying doing my part to solve the problem.”

Each class that he teaches deals with a different aspect of the financial world. According to Davis, Principles of Business “give kids a broad understanding of the business world, such as profits, loss, and functions of businesses.” Money Matters “helps students understand where money comes from, how to make it, how to keep it, and what to do with it.” And Securities and Investments “helps the students understand wise investing so that they can make their money grow.”

Davis thinks that personal finance is a very crucial skill for not just high schoolers, but all adults to have. He explained his thoughts on the importance of learning how to manage money.

“You should look at the end game,” Davis said. “What kind of retirement do you want to have? When do you want to retire? The better retirement life you want to have, and the earlier you want to retire, the more important financial management is.”

Davis also added his thoughts on the importance of students learning personal finance at young age.

“I think financial classes should be highly encouraged,” Davis said. “But not everyone gets the education, unfortunately.”

Davis had advice to give to any high schoolers interested in learning and practicing personal finance and money management.

“Make your mistakes when it doesn’t matter,” Davis said. “We’re all going to make mistakes. I still make mistakes.”