Entrepreneur helps launch financial literacy program Presentation includes practical advice Wauwatosa West High School students had an opportunity April 17 to see how far investing their money wisely can get them. Students heard the story of Bryan Sims, the 24-year-old founder and chief executive officer of brass|MEDIA. At 19, Sims dropped out of college to start brass|MEDIA in his parents' garage. The company publishes brass|MAGAZINE, a lifestyle money magazine produced for young adults by young adults about the money-side of life. Five years after its creation, the company employs 37 people and the magazine is read by 500,000 people. "I never made more than $10 an hour as a janitor before starting my own company," Sims told the students. "I decided I wanted to start investing when I was 16 years old." Sen. Jim Sullivan, D-Wauwatosa, told the students that Sims is an example of what they can accomplish. "This is so we can fill your head with knowledge and facts," Sullivan told the students. Sims visited the school as part of the brass|STUDENT program. The program, which will be brought to Wisconsin's 606 public high schools, is an effort to promote financial literacy in classrooms. According to Jump$tart Coalition, Wisconsin's 2008 high school seniors correctly answered 57 percent of the questions in a personal financial literacy survey. Jump$tart, a nonprofit organization, was created in 1995 to encourage curriculum enrichment to ensure that children learn basic personal financial management skills during their school years. The literacy survey was given to 6,856 12th-graders in 40 states. West business teachers Dan Prothero and Brad Schuster said the Wauwatosa School District has been leading the way for financial literacy in Wisconsin. Local students must complete a financial literacy component as a requirement for high school graduation. "For years, schools teach and prepare students to achieve at high levels so that someday they may enjoy a career that earns them a lot of money, but the best schools will also invest time teaching students about financial literacy so that they know how to manage all of that money," Prothero said. Sims tried to add to the education by giving students financial pointers, such as buying used cars, starting to invest as soon as possible and being careful with credit card offers. "There are a lot of people trying to take advantage of young people when it comes to money," he said. Lori Weiss can be reached at (262) 446-6645.