Ndamukong Suh Is Teaching Kids a Lesson That Can Last a Lifetime

A local connection: Two NFL stars team up for financial literacy in their hometown

From football fields to financial classrooms, Suh and his partners are helping young people understand money, saving, and their future.

Ndamukong Suh Is Teaching Kids a Lesson

When we think about what students need to learn in school, we usually think about reading, writing, math, and science. But there is another skill that can affect almost every part of a person’s future: knowing how to manage money.

NFL star Ndamukong Suh learned this lesson when he was a teenager. Like many young people, he did not fully understand checking accounts, credit cards, or personal finances until his mother began teaching him in high school.

“I didn’t start to learn about financial literacy and being able to balance a checkbook and what a credit card was until my mom put one in my hands as a high schooler,” Suh told PEOPLE.

His wife, Katya Suh, had a similar experience. When she reached college, she had a bank account and her first credit card. At first, it was easy to think that a credit limit meant having extra money to spend. But a credit card is borrowed money that eventually has to be paid back.

That early experience helped inspire the Suhs to help today’s students learn about money before they have to make major financial decisions.

A Different Kind of Classroom

Suh, Katya, and NFL linebacker Brennan Scarlett partnered with Stash101, a financial education platform designed to give young people hands-on experience with money.

Together with the Suh Family Foundation and Scarlett’s Big Yard Foundation, they launched Stash101 Summer School for students in the Portland Public School system.

The program was designed to reach 160 students through Portland Interscholastic League programs, including students who may not always have access to financial education.

Instead of simply reading about money in a textbook, students experience a simulated economy. They can learn what it means to earn a salary, save money, use credit, and make spending decisions.

This makes the lessons feel more like real life.

Imagine being given a pretend paycheck and having to decide how much goes toward housing, food, savings, and other expenses. Suddenly, a lesson about percentages or budgeting becomes much more meaningful.

Why Start So Young?

Suh and his partners believe it is never too early to learn about financial responsibility.

Middle school students may not have jobs, credit cards, or major bills yet, but they are already forming habits. They may receive an allowance, save birthday money, buy snacks, or make decisions about what they want versus what they need.

Learning the difference between those choices can become extremely valuable later.

Financial literacy can also help young people avoid mistakes that could follow them for years. Understanding interest, credit, saving, budgeting, and responsible spending gives students more control over their decisions.

Brennan Scarlett believes financial education can be especially powerful for young people from lower-income families.

When students understand how money works and have useful tools to manage it, they can have greater control over their financial future.

Taking Care of Their Hometown

Portland has a special meaning for both Suh and Scarlett because they grew up there.

For Suh, giving back to Portland was about more than simply donating money. It was about bringing opportunities and resources to the community that helped shape him.

“We like to be involved in our communities,” Suh explained, emphasizing the importance of taking care of their own backyard first.

That idea makes the program especially meaningful.

Suh could have used his success only to build his own future. Instead, he is using his platform to help young people build theirs.

More Than a Money Lesson

The most important lesson may not be about dollars and cents.

It is about independence.

When young people understand how money works, they can make better decisions for themselves and their families. They can learn to plan instead of simply reacting. They can understand why saving matters and why borrowing money comes with responsibility.

Katya Suh also hopes students will share what they learn with their families and friends.

That could create a ripple effect.

One student learns about saving. That student teaches a brother or sister. The lesson reaches a parent. A friend learns about budgeting. Slowly, financial knowledge spreads throughout the community.

Paying It Forward

Suh’s work with financial education is another example of how athletes can use their success to make a difference beyond sports.

He has the opportunity to reach young people because of his career, and he is choosing to use that opportunity to educate and inspire.

NFL players Ndamukong Suh and Brennan Scarlett giving back to kids in Portland

As Suh put it, the goal is “really about paying it forward and using our platforms to educate others.”

That is a powerful message for students of every age.

You do not have to be an NFL player to make a difference. You can share something you know, help someone learn a new skill, or encourage a younger person to make a smart decision.

Sometimes, the best gift we can give the next generation is not money itself.

It is the knowledge to understand how money works—and the confidence to use that knowledge wisely.

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