Recently, I had the privilege of meeting Allyson Felix and hearing her inspirational story.

Allyson Felix runs track and field at the Olympics and World Championships for the United States. She is the most decorated female track and field athlete in the world. She has metaled in every Olympics since 2004. Even though she is an experienced veteran in the Olympic Games, she is only 31!

The reason I was so inspired by her story was not just how much she has accomplished in her life, but because how events and obstacles in her life shaped who she would become.

Here are the 8 key takeaways on what I learned from this inspiring woman, and how this can help you and your teen. (Number 3 will surprise you!)

I know what you may be thinking. You’re thinking she is going to say that the greatest gift her mother ever gave her was love or nurturing.

Or compassion, kindness, forgiveness, mercy, patience.

While all of this is true, I’m focusing on the greatest monetary related gift.

The greatest gift my mother ever gave me was a student loan.

The number one reason parents hire me to tutor their high school student is because they are burned out!

Burned out from getting up before dawn, working all day at a difficult and tiring job, just to come home to spend hours and hours on high school homework that their student wasn’t understanding. Then start the whole process over again the next day.

I have personally worked with parents that would stay up until 2am every night, in order to finish assignments. Very tiring!

These parents were so burned out from helping with homework, double checking assignments, editing essays, and planning projects, that they eventually found it easiest to just do the work for them.

GASP!!