When Mountain America Credit Union launched the Women’s Financial Services Network (WFSN) a few years ago, it was eager to make a difference. And it has. In fact, it’s making a difference in the lives of many women, specifically young women.
In a unique partnership with the Girl Scouts of Utah (GSU) and the Salt Lake Chapter of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO), the WFSN is providing one-on-one mentors for Girl Scouts going for their Gold Award.
The mentoring program was launched last fall and has already helped 12 local Girl Scouts attain the exclusive Gold Award. This is a process that culminates in a major project involving 65 hours of community service. It’s the highest award possible in Girl Scouting. And it’s definitely a challenging endeavor for the 14-18 year old girls. (Only three to five percent of eligible Girl Scouts earn the award nationally.)
The young ladies who take on the Gold Award are much more than cookies and uniforms, they are dedicated hard workers looking to build a better future. The Gold Award is recognized across the country as a channel for young women to turn their passions into commitments to leadership and service in their communities. When I interviewed our senior vice president of WFSN, Annette Zimmerman, she told me just how cool these young women are, “I’m inspired by the girls and their projects. The girls who have earned their Gold Award are so far ahead of most girls their age. They have already identified their core values and they have goals outlined for their own success and improvement of their communities and beyond. I am so impressed with their courage and determination.”
Breck Schueller is equally impressed. She’s a branch manager at Mountain America Credit Union and a mentor. When I asked for her thoughts on the mentor program she said, “It’s amazing to see what can happen when communities and businesses partner to mentor our young people, our next generation of leaders.” Her Girl Scout is working on a project aimed to help cancer patients who have lost their hair. Breck just helped promote her project at a local Chamber of Commerce Women in Business Conference. The theme was “Hats Off” and each attendee was invited to wear a hat and bring one to donate to her Gold Award project. She collected four big boxes of hats!
I completely agree with Annette and Breck, amazing things can happen when we work together to make a difference in the lives of young people. The Women’s Financial Services Network’s exceptional mentors are making a difference in the lives of Girl Scouts and the future! Are any other credit unions doing something like this? I’m curious to know what else is going on out there in the spirit of mentoring our youth.
Jodi Jones is the Public Relations Officer for the Mountain America Credit Union and a board member of the Utah Jump$tart Coalition.
