(Left to Right) Greater Nevada Credit Union Educational Branch Coordinator Julie Slocum, and Carson High School banking program students Quincey Sosbee, Claire Jamison, and Melissa Garcia inside the Carson High Educational Branch
Representatives from Carson High School, the Carson City School District, and Greater Nevada Credit Union (GNCU) recently gathered to celebrate the 20th anniversary of GNCU’s educational branch inside Carson High. The educational branch houses the Carson High banking program, where students gain job experience and learn about financial literacy.
“Twenty years ago there was no program like this in Northern Nevada” says former GNCU President, Marsha Burgess, who helped establish the branch in a press release. “It took some effort, though after presenting the idea to the school principal and getting the curriculum approved by the Board of Education the education branch was born.”
Since being founded two decades ago, the program continues to make an impact on students. “The educational branch helps students learn about saving, investing, insurance, and how to manage money,” said Fabiola Mata-Garcia, a graduate from Carson High and the banking program in GNCU’s educational branch.
In addition to personal finance, the Carson High School banking curriculum teaches students job skills, such as providing customer service. The GNCU educational branch supervisor, Julie Slocum, says approximately 50 students apply for the 18 spots available in the program each year, and several of the students have gone on to work at Greater Nevada.
One of those past students is Haley Gwinn, who was in the banking program from 2003 to 2005 and is now the loan servicing manager at Greater Nevada Mortgage, a subsidiary of GNCU. “The Carson High School banking program was an amazing experience,” said Gwinn. “It made me become passionate for the industry and gave me the confidence to apply and then go on to work for Greater Nevada Credit Union. Because of this program, I am where I am today.”
“Our community partners are asking us to develop work place skills,” Carson City School District Superintendent Richard Stokes added. “And here is a great example of that, right here at Carson High School.”
For more information about Greater Nevada Credit Union, visit gncu.org or call (775) 882-2060.
