CANYON, Texas — West Texas A&M University students are getting a crash course in financial literacy, thanks to a partnership between the University and Education Credit Union.
The Advanced Money Management Boot Camp will offer students five interactive workshop sessions beginning Jan. 30, all featuring area experts discussing topics such as building credit, home and car buying, relationships and finances, and more.
The boot camp is cosponsored by ECU, the Education Credit Union Buff $mart program and the WT Alumni Association. Each of the ECU panelists is a WT alumnus.
“We’re proud to connect Buff alums with our current students so they can share their wisdom and experiences,” said Ronnie Hall, executive director of the WT Alumni Association.
“ECU Buff $mart’s goal is to help produce students who are financially independent and graduate with little or no debt,” said Meghan Williams, program director. “These workshops are designed to help students prepare for life after college by focusing on financial topics that almost everyone will deal with frequently.”
Each session will begin at 4 p.m. in the Legends Club in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center on the Canyon campus. Zoom options also are available.
Sessions will include:
Jan. 30: Building Credit, led by Amy McClenny, ECU assistant branch manager;
Feb. 6: Home Buying, Car Buying and Large Purchases, led by Emily Beckner, ECU mortgage loan processor;
Feb. 13: Relationships and Finances, featuring Itzel Anett; Tucker and Kassie Gattis; Dr. Kevin and Meghan Williams; and Larry and Tamara Castagnetta;
Feb. 20: Cover Yourself, led by Dr. Lana Jackson, ECU training supervisor, speaking about insurance; and
Feb. 27: Invest in Yourself, featuring Jenn Ufford, ECU senior vice president of member experience, speaking about investments.
The presenters speaking on relationships and finances are almost all WT employees: Anett is a coordinator in Residential Living; Tucker Gattis is assistant director of Recreational Sports; Kassie Gattis is a program specialist in the Paul and Virginia Engler College of Business; Dr. Williams is WT’s Richard and Mary West Traylor Professor of Agriculture Education; Meghan Williams is program coordinator for the Education Credit Buff $mart Program; and Tamara Castagnetta is associate director of scholarships in Student Financial Services.
Sessions are designed for current students, but WT alumni are free to participate as well. To register, visit wtamu.edu/buffsmart.
For information, call 806-651-2369.
Meeting regional needs is a key mission of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.
That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign’s new goal is to reach $175 million by 2025; currently, it has raised more than $150 million.
