Maria Bartiromo, who has been nicknamed “Money Honey,” is a success in the world of business journalism.

Her interview in New York City was broadcast live at Mercyhurst College on Thursday, Oct. 1.

Bartiromo anchors CNBC’s Closing Bell and hosts the most-watched financial news program in America, The Wall Street Journal Report. She has landed interviews with numerous celebrities as well as the past three presidents of the United States.

Bartiromo comes from a low-income family in Brooklyn, N.Y. She said that her career comes natural to her because she learned at a young age about financial responsibility.

“When I asked my mother if I could get an ice cream cone, she said to me, ‘Sure Maria, but how are you going to pay for it?’” Bartiromo said.

Her parents never gave her money; she always had to work for it.

Bartiromo is a strong believer in getting children interested in learning at a young age.

As a child, Bartiromo would watch the television program, “School House Rock.” She said that it was responsible for making learning fun. Bartiromo is aiming to bring back a School-House-Rock-inspired program for the latest generation of kids.

When asked about the importance of learning at a young age, sophomore Mike Reilly said, “Of course it is important. You learn everything (you know today) through the developmental stages of life.”

Sophomore Lindsay Cox said that learning while young is like “building a strong foundation” and that “your experiences (throughout life) will shape you.”

At the end of the interview, Bartiromo spoke about another element to her success. It is something she couldn’t learn, something that she shares with every human being. She gave credit to luck.

“You can work so hard and rise to the top office of the World Trade Center, but you (even I) can have everything robbed away in an instant,” Bartiromo said.

This broadcast was part of the PAC’s 92nd St. Y series. The next broadcast in this series takes place on Wednesday, Oct. 14 at 8 p.m. in Taylor Little Theatre.