Wake Up! Money Isn’t Everything by Darian

Wake Up! Money Isn’t Everything by Darian - September 2015 Scholarship Essay

Recently I came across an article that would scare anyone with enough sense to heed the message. Imagine getting paid in the multi-millions while having your dream career and access to luxuries you never imagined you could. Now imagine that all of a sudden it disappears along with many people who benefited from your success around you.
That is precisely what several well-known and well-paid professional athletes have gone through. This tragedy is not exclusive to any one race, gender, or even a particular sport. It touches the lives of so many people. Let’s review a few examples of life lessons. Former Philadelphia 76ers star point guard Allen Iverson is reportedly broke after earning over $154 million dollars in salary and another $50 million in endorsements. After years of being offered pennies on the dollar to make guest appearances and do odd jobs, he is finally regaining some stability having a chance to be a spokesman for Stance Sock Company. This is still a far fall from his former grace. (www.forbes.com)
Former Mets and Phillies star Lenny Dykstra was worth an estimated $58 million and then suddenly it came crashing down. Accused of bouncing checks, credit fraud, and producing fraudulent financial information, his life has become a living nightmare. As if matters could get any worse, he was charged with several counts of grand theft auto, identity theft, and possession of a controlled substance, which ultimately landed him three years of prison time. (www.thepostgame.com)
You could make a whole T.V. series highlighting wealthy individuals who fall into these same circumstances. The question is will you learn from the mistakes of others and ensure that their crisis does not become your own? I certainly hope so! Through the stories of these professionals, I have learned the importance of being business savvy. The foundation of handling your money wisely begins with a strong educational background. More simply put, just needing to be a better student. It doesn’t matter how much money you can accumulate if you do not have the knowledge to maintain it. This has opened my eyes to the idea that education really is important and even if you are a talented athlete that will only get you but so far in life. There truly is a lot more to it then how many zeros follow your commas in your bank account.