For Berclair Elementary School counselor Candiace Osborne, teaching financial literacy is more than a lesson plan; it’s a pathway to opportunity. Her commitment to giving students real-world skills has shaped her work for years, and long before it brought statewide recognition.
Osborne’s connection with the Tennessee Financial Literacy Commission began in 2019, when she introduced the “Vault: Understanding Money” program to help her students build early college and career readiness skills. The engaging, story-driven lessons quickly became a hit with her students. What Osborne didn’t anticipate was that the Commission was paying attention. Leaders reached out to thank her for the way she was using digital resources to bring financial concepts to life, eventually inviting her to Nashville that spring to receive the Leadership Award for West Tennessee at the State Capitol.
The relationship continued to grow. In 2023, Osborne became one of the Commission’s first Distinguished Educator Council members, offering insight from inside the school building on how best to integrate financial education statewide. Most recently, her service was honored with the Tennessee Department of Treasury Challenge Coin, a recognition that left her humbled, motivated, and energized. The moment she held the Coin, she said, she felt deeply appreciated, and even more determined to expand financial literacy opportunities for her students.
“When I first saw the Coin, I felt appreciated and honored. It motivated me to do more for our students. I want to expose them to financial literacy as much as possible.”
She believes these skills must begin early. Through the Vault program, her 4th and 5th graders travel to imaginative worlds where they solve money-related challenges and reflect on real-life decisions. This year, Berclair expanded its financial literacy efforts through a partnership with Pinnacle Financial Partners, using the FDIC’s Money Smart for Young People curriculum to reach younger learners with age-appropriate lessons.
Osborne hopes her students leave elementary school equipped with practical skills: understanding the difference between wants and needs, evaluating saving and spending, protecting their personal information, and avoiding debt pitfalls as they grow older. “I love all my students as if they were my own,” she said. “I want them to be successful, independent adults one day. Developing money management skills is the starting point of financial stability.”
She credits Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) for enabling her to bring these opportunities to life. “The district’s focus on whole-child success aligns perfectly with financial literacy, because we’re preparing students not just academically but for life,” she said.
For Osborne, the greatest reward will always be the students she serves. “Seeing their faces every day and watching them grow throughout the year brings joy to my heart,” she said. “I love my career, and I most definitely love my students. I am honored and blessed to serve them.”
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