There isn’t one person I’ve spoken to about wealth who hasn’t used these nine words:

I made possibly every money mistake because of this:

• Making life decisions “just for the money”
• Working hard without clear saving goals
• Not negotiating my salary as I progressed
• Panic-selling investments the moment fear kicked in
• And honestly… so many more I could write a novel.

Underneath all of it was one limiting belief:

😰 “Sanam, you’re behind because you’re from Tenerife (Spain), where no one taught you about money.”

We all have beliefs that hold us back - and fuel us forward.

This one became mine.

Which is why what I’m about to share matters to both of us.

I want younger versions of us to avoid the shame and confusion that comes from making money decisions in the dark.

Why this became urgent

Two years ago, I delivered the graduation keynote at my British alma mater in Tenerife, Wingate School. (If you’d like to watch it, it’s here: Commencement Address.)

After that, Imogen (Head of Sixth Form) and I kept coming back to the same question:

What will students need by graduation that school doesn’t currently teach?

The answer was painfully obvious:

Money management for university & beyond.

And the data backs it up. Spanish teenagers are starting adulthood financially unprepared.

​PISA 2022 financial literacy shows:

• 17% of students did not reach the basic performance level
• Spain scored 486, below the OECD average of 498
• Only 5% reached high performance (vs 11% OECD)

Except, money isn’t a “test score”. It’s rent, bills, credit cards, and decisions teenagers will face within months of graduation.

Which is why the UK announced financial education will become mandatory from 2028.

And the Canary Islands proposed strengthening financial education starting in schools, too.

The timing became impossible to ignore.

What I’m building

So here it is:

I’m proud to share that I’m piloting an 8-week financial literacy programme for Year 12/13 students at Wingate Sixth Form.

I’ll be delivering, designing, testing, and refining a replicable model that teaches 16-18 year-olds key money skills.

And because I start this Friday… I’m about to meet a very honest audience.

Teenagers don’t pretend to be impressed!

My simple ask

Follow along as I document this journey, and if you know parents or educators who’d benefit, share this with them.

If you know a Head of Sixth Form, Headteacher, or Principal who cares about life readiness as much as academic performance, I’d be grateful for an introduction.

Thank you

I also want to acknowledge a few people who helped make this real:

• Imogen Duncan, the quiet powerhouse and kind teacher behind this partnership, who genuinely cares about students thriving beyond university.
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• ​Andrew Hallam, best-selling author, personal finance public-speaker, teacher, and mentor who has consistently modelled what “simple, calm, wealth” looks like in real life.
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• ​Will Rainey, author of Grandpa’s Fables, Bank Executive, and personal finance educator for kids across South East Asia.

And to Wingate School, thank you for trusting this enough to bring it into the timetable.

If you have tips, introductions, or just want to cheer this on, hit reply.

Really appreciate your support,

Sanam