In this episode of the NGPF Speaker Series, former teacher Kathy Cuevas shares her career journey into education and the real-life experiences that shaped her approach to teaching—especially serving students with disabilities and students from low-income communities. She offers practical, classroom-tested advice for educators who are new to teaching personal finance, including how to get creative when resources are limited and how to seek support beyond your own school building. Kathy also walks listeners through hard-earned lessons from her own financial life. She talks about the mistakes, setbacks, and turning points that ultimately helped her retire with confidence. The conversation dives into teacher-specific retirement topics like 403(b) plans, real estate, and why building multiple streams of income can create flexibility in retirement. They also break down advanced strategies in accessible language, including Roth conversions, required minimum distributions, and how to think about risk over the long term. Overall, it's a candid, motivating conversation that encourages teachers to start planning early, keep learning, and build a retirement roadmap they can actually feel good about.