Mizael Buron, Co-Chair of BBBS’s Ambassador Board and current Big Brother, recently led a Financial Literacy class for high school Littles in our program! Mizael is the Branch Manager for Umpqua Bank’s Pearl District location and has a passion for helping people with their finances.
During this workshop, Mizael gave high school students a tour of some vital life skills ranging from how to start a checking and savings account, through the importance of credit scores. He had a wonderful way of breaking the down each concept and using real life examples that Littles could relate to.
During this hour long session, students asked great questions like:
- “How do taxes work?”
- “How do students go about getting their first credit card?”
- “How do people boost their credit score?”
- “What do you think of crypto currency and NFTS?”
Mizael covered other topics like budgeting, the importance of saving, he explained tax brackets, and the responsible use of credit cards. He stressed the importance of staying current with your bills and paying more than the minimum balance on credit card statements to avoid high interest rates.
Near the end of the workshop, Little Brother Juan asked, “If you had the opportunity to give advice to yourself. What would it be?”
Mizael replied, “Save, save, save!” explaining that saving a portion of your earnings each pay check will really help in the long run.
Little Brother Josue was very thankful for the workshop sharing, “Thank you I definitely learned a lot today!”
Big Brothers Big Sisters Program staff member Ninfa Rodriguez, works with high school Littles all year round, organizing monthly workshops like this one! She works with students on their college applications & essays, the financial aid process, and even helps them with job interviews! Just a few of the many ways we empower the potential of the youth we serve.
