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Alex Dontre doesnt have what most people would call your typical day job. In fact he usually works nights as a drummer in the comedy metal band Psychostick. For more than 15 years Alex and his bandmates have been composing and performing their unique brand of music recording four full-length albums and two extended plays and performing over 1000 shows in four countries. As Alex recalls Back in 2000 four of us got together to create a group that had an aggressive sound but at the same time had a comedic edge. There was nothing like that in the music world as far as we knew. In 2006 through a series of random connections the band started getting airplay on XM Radio and a contract and touring soon followed. A few years later Alex found himself at a crossroads and looking for a new challenge in his life so he decided to give college a try. Enrolling at Columbus State Community College his plan was to take a few classes to help him learn how to manage his money and then move on. It wasnt long before Alex realized he enjoyed studying finance and that he was doing well in his classes observing that the power of compound interest just blew my mind It was at that point that he realized he could help a lot of people including his fellow musicians with his new-found knowledge. Honestly my desire to help others with their finances eventually stemmed from a hard truth I had no idea how to handle my money. As I observed my friends and colleagues I recognized a similar theme. We often made poor decisions regarding spending habits saving and investing or lack thereof and boosting expenses along with each increase in revenue. We are musicians were broke. Following that revelation Alexs original plan to take a few classes at Columbus State evolved into an associate degree that in May of this year will be followed by a bachelors from Franklin with a double major in Financial Planning and Financial Management. He already has his life insurance and securities licenses and can legitimately help his friends now his clients and has begun his classwork for a masters in Business Psychology at Franklin. But his success has not been without its challenges My incessant touring schedule required me to learn how to study in moving vehicles backstage with chatty musicians and even at noisy rock concerts with inquisitive passersby. Furthermore I am not exempt from proctored exams simply because I travel so extensively. Consequently I have taken exams in eight states outside of Ohio including a test in Denver when the city was under a blizzard warning One of Alexs many goals is to make financial planning more accessible to his fellow artists who often dont understand the workings of financial management and may feel intimidated by the topic or by a perceived judgment on the part of some traditional investment firms. I have the ability to bridge the divergent worlds of music and financial prosperity. It is time to do away with the concept of a starving artist and let these creative individuals do what they do best make the world a more beautiful place. DONTREWhat do you get when you cross a heavy metal drummer with a financial planner A Franklin student with a mission to eradicate the starving artist. Alex STUDENT SPOTLIGHTB.S. Financial Planning and Financial Management 13.A magazine for alumni and friends of Franklin University