Applicant #7: Jake Pfaff

Jake Pfaff is a 17-year-old from Amherstburg.

Jake's video application:

Jake online:

+ Twitter
+ Facebook

Jake's current situation:

I have just graduated from High School and am just starting my busy summer. I am a competitive pole vaulter currently ranked 2nd in Canada for the junior division. I plan on winning Canadian Junior Nationals to represent Canada at the IAAF World Championships. I will be attending the University of Windsor in the fall for Concurrent Education and Biological Sciences (I know....i`m a nerd...a fun one!).

Jake's blog post:

My name as you already may know is Jake Pfaff. I am a proud youth of Ontario (good things grow in Ontario, or so the commercial says!). I do admit though that sometimes it is hard to be a youth in Ontario. Welcome to an economy that has taken quite the beating these past few years; when there are past Ford Motor Company employees working at Little Ceasar`s I think, just think, there might be an issue. The effects of the economic downturn have taken jobs from youth. I personally have handed out over 100 resumes in the past few months only to receive one call back....it happened to be they called the wrong person! If I don`t mind saying myself, I believe I have a solid resume. This has turned me into a penny pincher....unlike most of my employed friends. They seem to be more broke then me sometimes...foolish with their money. Spend now, save later? Now who has that ever worked for....maybe it`s because my friends don`t trust their banks?  I admit that I reached a point like this where I thought $$$ was mysteriously disappearing from my account. I hope spending my time on this Young & Free application can have positive impacts on both my friends, peers and myself. Well we must be optimistic about the future as we, the youth of Ontario, are undertaking new endeavors, whether it be post-secondary education, the workplace, buying real estate, or even getting married. All these things have in common that they deal with large sums of money. Money that youth may need help managing. Taking myself into account, more money will pass through my hands next year in my first year of university then has ever before and I would like to know it will be in a safe place and be backed by responsible people(myself included)...I once had to do a debate on whether youth are financially responsible...I argued "let it be resolved that youth ARE financially responsible...."  I really hope that this is the case and for those a little lost can find there way with the help of others. That`s where I believe the future lies in many youths financial gains and losses.  Perhaps a higher authority needs to teach youth how to save by putting away portions of their paychecks and by investing (investing in superior financial institutions and by creating a portfolio). It is never to late to start! I`m not a banker but I can recommend you to one at Libro Financial or United Community Credit Union.

Young & Free Ontario, you ask me what I define Freedom as, well I`ll start by saying freedom is the right to do things at your own will. Freedom is not being forced by others to do things you do not oblige to. Freedom is simply the act of being free. Free from worries, free from debt, free from having to do household-chores (okay i lied about that one), and simply being able to do what you want to when you want to with other`s guiding you on your way.

Well I will close this blog on a positive note! Don't ever let anyone tell you that you can`t do something-that is freedom at its best. If you shoot for the stars and miss, you`ll be bound to hit another one. Anyway, I'm getting ready for a track meet today and doing some charity work for Society of St.Vincent de Paul. So be the best you can be and I shall talk with you all later....hopefully from a blog/vlog from your new Young and Free Ontario Spokesperson.

Jake