Financial education is essential for setting up young adults for success in adulthood; however, access to this education is not equal in DC. Then-DC high school senior Dylan Russell-Roach witnessed this firsthand as part of Tzedek DC’s Spring 2026 intern class, as well as the positive impacts of local financial empowerment programs.
This discrepancy was also a large part of what motivated Dylan to engage in a senior research project at public charter school BASIS Washington DC. Dylan’s research project explored financial literacy disparities in DC by analyzing the impacts of parental influence, financial education in schools, and the availability of other resources.
As an intern, Dylan significantly contributed to Tzedek DC’s Financial Empowerment Program, from attending weekly workshops to analyzing program data. She also helped financial counseling clients access important resources by creating individualized resource guides. She also drafted our June Financial Counseling Newsletter about summer energy costs to share practical information with our community. You can check out this newsletter here: Keeping Cool Without Breaking the Bank: What DC Residents Should Know About Summer Energy Costs.
Dylan also lent her powerful voice and perspective to Tzedek DC’s systemic change work. In April, Dylan testified in front of the State Board of Education, urging the DC government to restore financial literacy as a requirement in the DC Public Schools curriculum. In the testimony, she shared how she sought out financial education opportunities in middle school and high school by taking multiple optional elective courses related to finance and business since BASIS Washington DC did not offer specific financial literacy courses, mandatory or otherwise.
Dylan ended her testimony with a resonant message:
I realized early on how powerful financial knowledge can be after seeing my mom navigate challenges without the proper resources to build financial stability. Every student should be equipped with tools in high school to handle financial situations in the future. This requirement will be a pivotal step to ensuring DC’s future economic well-being.
Dylan testified alongside other Tzedek DC staff and alumni from our Financial Empowerment Program. The State Board of Education will vote on the updated graduation requirements next month on August 19.
Above: Photos of Dylan testifying in front of the State Board of Education in April.
Dylan graduated from BASIS Washington DC at the end of May and was awarded the BASIS Educational Ventures Scholarship, a prestigious college scholarship which recognizes one senior for their outstanding senior project execution and community engagement. Dylan is attending Spelman College in the fall and plans to continue advocating for financial literacy.
We could not be prouder of Dylan and can’t wait to see what the future holds for her!
Above: Photos from Dylan’s Senior Project presentation in May, including Dylan with her parents and Tzedek DC staff members.