Team Spotlight : Ysmael Darius

Earlier this week we sat down with Ysmael, one of our two wonderful interns. He is currently completing his graduate studies at Nova Southeastern  University. We stole him from Richard, our VP who keeps him quite busy, for a few minutes to chat....

Q: Tell me a little about your background

A: I am 24 years old and I am of Haitian descent. I was born in Orlando, Florida and grew up in Clermont, Florida. My undergraduate degree is in psychology and I am studying to obtain my MBA in finance.

Q:What brought you into the financial services field?

A: What brought me into financial services is the need to help people. Many people of Caribbean descent either were never taught this information or don't know where to go to find it. So, my goal is to make financial literacy something that is common knowledge for everyone, and I feel like this is the first step to making that happen. 

Q: How long have you been in your role at Feller Financial Services? What stands out about your time here?

A: I have been in this role for about 3 months and the thing that stands out to me the most is the willingness for everyone to teach. Everyone is always willing to show me something new whenever I come in and I appreciate it because everyone around you knows at least one thing that you don’t.

Q: When it comes to financial literacy and financial education, what would you tell a friend or family member to encourage them to get educated?

A: I would stress to them the importance of knowing how to manage their money. Many people believe their issue starts with not having enough money. Although lack of funds is a problem, improper management of funds further compounds the issues they face. Therefore, making it harder to ever come to a point of financial freedom. 

Q: What is something you or your friends/family are doing this year to find normalcy/joy/sanity/fun in these unique times?

A: One thing we are doing to find a sense of normalcy is playing tennis. My roommate and I play tennis about 2-3 times a week and it's a good way to get our cardio in.

Q: What would be 3 words that describe you?

A: Caring, Resilient, Open-Minded

Q: What advice would you give the “you” of a decade ago?

A: I would tell a 14-year-old Ysmael to major in finance when he gets to college. It would save you a lot of time and effort