Milton Senior Brings Financial Literacy Conversations Across Borders

Avaneesh Siruvuri ’26 traces his passion for economics back to middle school, when his father opened an investment account to help him learn about money.

“Through this experience of dealing with what felt like my own money, I began to gain a deep interest in understanding the fundamentals of our money system,” he explains. “I will never forget making my first dollar on a $10 investment.”

That early curiosity has since grown into a commitment to expanding financial literacy among students in India and at Milton, a passion he discussed during an appearance on CNN-News18 (an independent Indian news network licensed by CNN International).

During trips to India to visit family, Siruvuri realized that many young people he met lacked access to financial education. “When I asked questions about the Indian economy or how banks work, I was often met with vague or nonspecific answers,” he recalls. “It seemed to me that much of the financial decision-making was influenced by the media or outdated methods.” To help close that gap, he launched an economics discussion group, loosely inspired by Milton’s Harkness teaching method, that meets in person and online to explore interdisciplinary topics in economics and decision-making.

That same passion has come to life in Ware Hall, where he’s developed a four-class financial literacy program for Milton’s Middle School. “As someone who went to [Milton’s] Middle School, I remembered learning about several life skills, such as study methods, basic psychology, and self-care in our 360 class. I felt that financial literacy was no different than any of these essential life skills,” he says. Siruvuri worked with the Middle School administration to develop the program, which covers fundamental concepts such as how to save and spend money and how banks work.