The super volunteer.

• Position: Finalentry - Bruce Kajiwara - Interview

Bruce Kajiwara, CPA, CFP embodies the CPA volunteer spirit. From teaching high school students how to save and budget, to regularly working with adults on how to save for retirement, Kajiwara has been a leading force for CalCPA Institute's financial literacy initiative.

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What would you say to your peerswho, "don't have time" to volunteer?

I would say, "You just have not found what really motivates you." Just like it's not "work" when you enjoy your job, it's not volunteering, but pursuing something you believe in.

Do you have more success talking to students or adults?

The successes are measured differently. With students, I'm trying to introduce basic finance topics and ideas that they'll remember (and implement) for the rest of their lives.

Success with adults is more immediate and measurable. Examples might include a couple that has their first financial plan prepared; an employee who starts (or increases) a 401(k) contribution; or an overzealous spender who cuts back and pays off credit card debt.

What has been your most rewarding experience?

Presenting personal finance topics to high school students. If we're able to reach future savers and investors when they are young, we will better achieve our mission of improving financial literacy and these students will have the advantage of time to reach their financial goals.

How did you learn to manage your money growing up?

It's much easier to manage something when you don't have much of it! As a kid, if college was in my future, I needed to be prepared to fund the majority of it on my own.So, money I earned during the summers in high school was used to pay for college.

Shortly after college, I was married. My wife and I agreed that as children came along, she would stay home with the kids. So we began planning for that by living on just my salary. What made that especially hard was when our first...