What an honor this is. I want to thank the California Council of Economic Education.

But to me, the real honor is the teachers and the moms out there.

My mom passed away this year and was a teacher for 47 years.

And I'm a 58 year old mama's boy and I still text my mom

I kept her phone and her plan so I could text her every day the four things that she wanted to know about me which was I'm happy'm happy, I'm healthy, I love you, and appreciate you.

And for all you moms out there, I promise you your children love and appreciate you.

And I wish and bless them happiness and health as well.

I have to admit, my mom raised six kids on her own.

My dad left when I was five.

She was a single second grade teacher, packed our dinner in a paper bag in Akron, Ohio, drove us around in a country squire station wagon, making us teach each other and learn from each other while she filled up turnstiles with greeting cards at convenience

stores just so we could eat. My mom had great lessons. I have to admit, though, I never really

listened to my mom. Never took her advice until the day she died. I just watched her. I watched my mom every day. And although I didn't listen to her,

the lessons that me and my siblings, each of them all went to the Ivy League's, graduated summa cum laude from Harvard, Penn, Columbia.

I just watched her. And she had great lessons like,

be more interested than interesting. Be kind. Be kind to your future self. Do good deeds.

And my favorite, which applies when I'm blessed by my friends and my family and this

community that supports me so I can support others to support others to empower

others to be happy you're either humble or you're about to be and I'm always

humbled by getting honored or recognized for what I was named to do.

My mom intentionally named me David Meltzer.

David means beloved.

Meltzer means servant.

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