Passing the Buck

When he was young, von Tacky felt fortunate for everything he had but never considered himself or his family rich.

Everyone in his hometown knew his family background. But when he came to college, von Tacky saw it as an opportunity to meet people without being judged first, he says — at college, people see him for who he is and not how much his family is worth.

“I sometimes try to hide the fact that I have money because people get jealous,” von Tacky adds. “It’s sometimes just easier to hide it. I never cared or thought about what people thought of me. I just wanted to be me. I never cared about fitting in.”

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He says having money has made him more insecure when meeting new people because he is worried they will judge him.

“I’m actually scared by a lot of things in my life,” von Tacky adds. “I’m afraid of not being in the right friendships or relationships with people.”

Shaffer says von Tacky tends to go through phases when he wants to party more, but now he has his head toward the future.

“His life does not have to move as quickly as others,” Shaffer says. “Most people plan on moving away and doing something, and he has only just started to really think about the future. He has the ability to stay in school as long as he wants.”

Von Tacky says he enjoys being by himself because it allows him to stay focused. Some of his close friends go out a lot, and that lifestyle does not coincide with the person he wants to be. He likes to go out with his friends to bars on occasion, von Tacky says, but he tries to act responsibly.

“I know having money makes me think differently on partying,” he adds. “I’m just not into the college drinking scene. I feel like college is preparation for life.”

“I’m actually scared by a lot of things in my life.”

Next semester, von Tacky wants to live off-campus in a single apartment because he feels he is not getting the full taste of college life. He says he looks forward to cooking and taking care of himself.

“I’d like to expand my repertoire of cooking beyond scrambled eggs,” von Tacky says. “I watch movies where guys are cooking for their girlfriends, and it looks romantic. I want to someday be able to that, also.”

He says money affects his interpersonal relationships because he is less trusting of others and often finds himself wanting to be alone.

“I can see myself being lonely (after college),” von Tacky adds. “I’m not the person who walks up to people to be friends.”

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