David Chew: Am I Smarter Than a 5th Grader?

Aug 8, 2018 | Kansas City, Personal

By David Chew, SBA Credit Analyst, Core Bank
Last month I had the opportunity to go to my Alma mater Christa McAuliffe Elementary school for Cain’s Arcade (if you don’t know what this is, please refer to Bridget Clark’s blog last month.) As we were driving up to the school, I took a trip down memory lane. I was thinking about all the hours I spent at recess on the basketball courts, the field days, and the time spent with friends.
Oh, and did I mention recess?
I started to think about what 5th grade “Davey” imagined life would be when I “grew up”. What I would be doing and what kind of job I would have. Although my top choice would have been a professional baseball player, that didn’t work out. I’ve always taken an interest in numbers, local Kansas City businesses, and my community. This led me to pursue a major in finance and accounting so that I could get a job in banking.

Foundational Learning

Reflecting on my time in elementary school led me to evaluate specific skill sets that have prepared me for my professional career. For Instance, were you ever a line leader? Did you ever partake in group projects? Were you ever in charge of taking care of the class pet? Or did you ever get in trouble for cutting in the lunch line? I know I did. We’ve all had experiences like this. These social situations, responsibilities and predicaments prepared us for the “real world”.
It was the little things that happened all the time in elementary school… these started molding a foundation for leadership, teamwork, responsibility, and respect for others. As I snapped back to reality on the drive up to the school, I thought that work would be even more fun if we could still have recess!

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