Youth Financial Education Series: Javon Coen on Bowling Scholarships and Building Financial Discipline
In this Youth Financial Education Series feature sponsored by JPMorgan Chase, Javon Coen talks with MSR's Prescott Jones about how a bowling hobby he picked up during the pandemic turned into a full scholarship to Webber International University. Coen, who has worked since age 15, discusses saving for his first car, the discipline it taught him, and why he believes the years between 15 and 18 are the best window young people have to build savings before real responsibilities arrive.
JPMorganChase offers a comprehensive suite of youth financial education initiatives, providing resources ranging from bite-sized budgeting modules to multi-year mentorship programs. Their primary offerings span digital tools, community-based workshops, and philanthropic career pathways.
Javon Coen did not grow up with a roadmap for financial literacy. He built one himself, starting at 15, one paycheck at a time.
The Brooklyn Park native and rising senior at Webber International University in Florida sat down with Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder’s Prescott Jones for the MSR Youth Financial Education Series, sponsored by JPMorganChase, to talk about how a bowling scholarship changed his trajectory, why he started working young, and what he wishes he had known about money at 15.
From Brooklyn Park to a Full Ride
Coen grew up as an all-around athlete but did not pick up bowling until his sophomore year of high school. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, he and his cousins started bowling regularly. What began as a pastime quickly became a passion.
“It kind of just found me,” he said. “I started watching professional bowlers and just fell in love with it. I started teaching myself the game and practicing every day.”
He soon discovered that youth bowling tournaments offered scholarship money for competitors as young as two or three years old through age 18. He began entering tournaments to gain exposure and experience, which eventually led to a full scholarship to Webber International University, where he studies integrated marketing communications.
“I learned that you could make scholarship money doing that, so I decided to start putting myself in these tournaments just to get better and get exposure and gain experience so that I could go to the next level,” he said.
He previously studied psychology before switching to marketing, seeing the two fields as deeply connected.
“I feel like you can use psychology and business put together in the whole advertisement and promoting world with marketing,” he said. “I feel like you can do a lot with that.”
Working Since 15
Coen has been working since he was 15. This summer he is driving for Amazon’s delivery service partner program while finishing school. Last summer he completed a marketing internship with a company called MDI, where he gained hands-on experience in event marketing, analytics, and SEO.
His goal heading into his senior year is straightforward: save a few thousand dollars before returning to campus so he is not financially stressed during his final year.
The First Big Goal: Saving for a Car
When Jones asked him to reflect on his earliest financial goal, Coen pointed to saving for his first car, somewhere between $1,000 and $3,000. It took six months to a year of consistent work.
“Saving up my first $1,000 cash really taught me discipline and how to just stay down,” he said. “There were a lot of times where I wanted to blow it on kid stuff, a video game, some shoes or whatever. But keeping that main vision at the end of it all helped me not fall into those impulses.”
Advice for Young People
When Jones asked what he would tell young people trying to build savings while resisting the pull of spending, Coen kept it practical.
“Stack a little bit at a time and don’t try to overdo it,” he said. “You don’t have to save 100 percent of your check, but also don’t save $100 if you’re making $1,000. If you’re making $1,000, save $300, save $400. Live below your means, but also make sure you’re taking care of your wants, just not overindulging. You still want to enjoy the money you’re working for, but you don’t want to overenjoy it to where you have nothing left to save.”
He added that the window between ages 15 and 18 is the single best opportunity young people have to build savings, precisely because the responsibilities are low.
“When you’re 15 through 18, you don’t have a lot of responsibilities. You don’t have a lot of bills if any. You’re still under your parents’ house. That’s the perfect time to save as much as you possibly can,” he said.
If he could go back and talk to his 15-year-old self, he would push harder on two things: researching the stock market and investments, and opening a high-yield savings account as early as possible.
“This is the time you have the best opportunity,” he said.
The MSR Youth Financial Education Series is sponsored by JPMorganChase.