Cedar Shoals High School Class of 2026 alumna Derriana Smith, Clarke Central High School Class of 2026 alumnus Noah Kilpatrick and Program Director for Gifted Savings Jennifer Inman (from left to right) participate in a panel about Gifted Savings in the Clarke County School District Office, located at 595 Prince Ave., on May 9. During the 2025-26 school year, the CCSD partnered with the Gifted Savings program for the first time, with 91% of participants, all of whom were seniors, successfully completing the financial literacy educational course that Gifted Savings entails. “The Gifted Savings program was very informative,” CCHS Class of 2026 alumna and Gifted Savings participant Mariah Carson said. “I learned so much about money management and investing (and) I feel more confident about my financial future.” Photo by Peter Atchley
CCSD celebrated nearly 650 high school graduates who have successfully completed the Gifted Savings program, a financial literacy initiative.
On June 3, the Clarke County School District announced that nearly 650 members of its class of 2026 graduates were given ownership of investment portfolios created through the Gifted Savings program, which partnered with the CCSD for the first time during the 2025-26 school year.
At the beginning of participants’ senior year, the program invested $1,000 per student with the intention of transferring ownership to them upon turning 18 and completing a financial literacy course that taught skills ranging from goal-setting to investing to creating healthy financial habits. For Clarke Central High School Class of 2026 alumna Mariah Carson, participation in the Gifted Savings program taught her greater financial fluency.
“The (conversations) around the lessons really helped me tap into my relationship with money. The program strengthened my mindset around spending, saving (and) investing,” Carson said. “Money used to feel taboo, (but) now I (feel more) comfortable with money than ever before.”
Upon completion of the program, students were expected to choose to either receive a cash payout or reinvest their earnings in a brokerage account by June 4. Carson chose the latter option in order to prepare for her financial future.
“When I turn 18, I plan to keep my portfolio invested, open a high-yield savings account and use goals to manage my money in ways that will work in my favor,” Carson said. “Ultimately, I want to avoid financial stress and live comfortably.”
“Money used to feel taboo, (but) now I (feel more) comfortable with money than ever before.”
— Mariah Carson,,
CCHS class of 2026 alumna
In order to secure funding for future CCSD graduates to participate in the program, the district is currently receiving private donations. Additionally, CCSD also held Dining 4 Dividends, where Athens restaurants and businesses donated a portion of their profits from April 30 towards funding for Gifted Savings.
“We finished our inaugural year with Gifted Savings by sending hundreds of students into the world with a nest egg and the knowledge necessary to make that nest egg work for them,” CCSD superintendent Dr. Jennifer Scott stated in a June 3 CCSD press release. “We are looking forward to welcoming our next group of seniors to this elite club of student investors when we return to school in August.”
