Award-Winning AFC® Whitney Ramirez Joins Dr. Stephanie Poplar on WOLB 1010 AM to Launch National Challenge on Avoiding the “Interest Trap”
Nationwide — Graduation season is here, but for many seniors, the money decisions that follow are arriving faster than the preparation. The proof? This week, a Baltimore mother enrolling her teens in an online financial literacy course asked a question that should alarm every parent: “Can my teens take this class more than once? They need to hear this message multiple times.”
That mother’s concern captures the crisis facing the Class of 2026. Whitney Ramirez, AFC®—the Maryland Chamber of Commerce “Rising Star” and recipient of the prestigious AFCPE® 2025 Outstanding Education Program of the Year award—is answering that call. She’s sounding the alarm to families and schools across DC, Maryland, Delaware, New York City, and Atlanta: the Class of 2026 is walking into a “Graduation Ambush” orchestrated by predatory lenders, and a single high school financial literacy class isn’t enough to fight back.
On Friday, January 16, 2026, Ramirez will join Dr. Stephanie Poplar on “Community Conversations” (WOLB 1010 AM) to launch the national ‘Diplomas vs. Debt’ Challenge. This initiative is designed to equip seniors with a “Financial Shield,” teaching them how to use credit cards to fund the lifestyle they want while making interest payments 100% optional.
“We are celebrating college acceptances while ignoring the reality that our children are about to be ambushed by high-interest credit offers,” says Ramirez. “As an Accredited Financial Counselor, I want students to know they can have the lifestyle they desire, but they have to know the rules. If you know how the system works, credit card interest is optional. If you don’t, that diploma you worked so hard for becomes a debt sentence.”
“That mother who asked if her teens could repeat the course? She gets it. Parents know their kids are up against billion-dollar marketing machines. That’s why the ‘Diplomas vs. Debt’ Challenge isn’t a one-time workshop—it’s a movement to ensure this generation graduates financially armed, not financially ambushed.”
The ‘Diplomas vs. Debt’ Challenge moves beyond basic budgeting to tackle the high-level credit strategies necessary for 21st-century survival, focusing on:
• Interest is Optional: Mastering the “Grace Period” to fund a lifestyle without paying the bank a penny in interest.
• Predatory Prevention: How to spot the “graduation offers” that lead to a decade of debt.
• The No-Co-Sign Mandate: Strategic moves to protect the family’s financial legacy.
“Dr. Stephanie Poplar has been a trusted voice in Baltimore’s Black community for years,” Ramirez added. “Partnering with her on ‘Community Conversations’ ensures this message reaches the families who need it most, before predatory lenders do. This is where movements begin—and that’s exactly what this is.”
About Whitney Ramirez, AFC®:
Whitney Ramirez is the Founder & CEO of Diapers 2 Deposits, Inc. An Accredited Financial Counselor and Maryland Chamber of Commerce “Rising Star,” her innovative financial literacy approach, “Financial Field Trips,” won the AFCPE® 2025 Outstanding Education Program of the Year. Ramirez is dedicated to closing the wealth gap by equipping families and students with the financial knowledge to build generational wealth.
About Diapers 2 Deposits, Inc.:
Diapers 2 Deposits, Inc. is a financial education organization committed to the strategic implementation of financial education in children’s lives from the diaper stage through their first deposit. The award-winning financial literacy program has served thousands of students across Maryland, D.C., and New York City and is expanding nationally.
D2D is currently booking Spring 2026 sessions for high schools, parents, and community organizations. Families interested in bringing the ‘Diplomas vs. Debt’ Challenge to their school or community can visit Diapers2Deposits.com or tune in to WOLB 1010 AM on January 16th to learn more.
For press inquiries, contact Whitney Ramirez, AFC® at wramirez@diapers2deposits.com