At Pathway Financial Education, we believe in equipping individuals with the tools they need to build a strong financial future. This summer, we had the privilege of working with Harvard freshman Katie Murphy, whose passion for education and financial literacy helped shape a new curriculum designed to meet Missouri state standards.

Katie, a graduate of Shawnee Mission East, joined Pathway through the Harvard SPARK program, dedicating her summer internship to creating engaging, practical financial literacy courses for students in Kansas City and beyond. As a recent high school graduate, she brought a unique perspective on what students need and how they learn best.

A Curriculum Built for the Future

During her time at Pathway, Katie worked closely with our team to develop a curriculum tailored to Missouri’s financial literacy standards. With schools increasingly looking for structured yet engaging financial education, her work filled a critical gap.

“Her input helped a lot because she did just get out of high school and she knows better than me what they are interested in and what will keep them more engaged,” said Angelique Cheatem, Pathway’s program manager.

Katie’s dedication to this project means that students heading back to school now have access to new financial literacy courses that could be implemented as soon as the spring semester.

Making an Impact Before College

As Katie prepares to study applied mathematics and economics at Harvard, she hopes to continue exploring education’s role in empowering young people. She encourages other students to find ways to give back before heading off to college:

“I think the summer before your freshman year is a really good time to try to do something that is meaningful to you and your community before you leave,” she shared.

Her work with Pathway exemplifies that mindset—helping to ensure more young people in Kansas City have access to the knowledge they need to navigate their financial futures.

Read More About Katie’s Work with Pathway

Katie’s internship and contributions were highlighted by KSHB 41 News in two articles:
🔹 Incoming Harvard freshman from Kansas spends summer developing personal finance curriculum
🔹 “Financial literacy is super important”: Harvard freshman creates Missouri financial literacy courses

We are grateful for Katie’s hard work and excited to see how her curriculum continues to make an impact!