Gordon Ford College of Business News

Rising 10th-grade through 12th-grade students from across Kentucky will spend part of their summer experiencing life on the Hill and learning about personal finance. Thanks to a new multi-year sponsorship with Abound Credit Union, Western Kentucky University's Center for Financial Success (CFS) will host 35 students for its Personal Finance Summer Camp.

Abound Credit Union joined forces with the WKU Center for Financial Success in 2022 and expanded that partnership further when they saw the impact created by the camp. This year, the Credit Union committed to a 3-year sponsorship totaling $75,000 to help deliver these crucial skills to students. Abound believes that guiding young adults in learning more about personal finance is vital for them to start their lives on a solid financial footing to make smart financial decisions that will positively impact the rest of their lives. The multi-year sponsorship provides critical scholarships for attendees, off-sets camps cost, and expands the summer camp's programming.

 "Abound is excited to support WKU's Personal Finance Summer Camp for years to come," said Ray Springsteen, President / CEO of Abound Credit Union. "Helping Kentuckians live better is a primary focus at Abound. The Credit Union invests in financial education programs from elementary ages to adults. WKU's Personal Finance Camp is a great way to help more Kentuckians learn basic personal finance principles and lead better lives." 

The Personal Finance Summer Camp will run from June 25th through June 29th. Campers will spend five fun-filled days living on campus, learning about personal finance, experiencing leadership training, hearing from guest speakers, and competing in a financial plan case study competition. The case study requires the teams to build a financial plan for a mock client with a presentation on the last day of the camp. As part of the experience, the campers visit local financial firms, and their advisors serve as a resource for the case study competition. The camp counselors are financial planning students who provide guidance and support throughout the camp. 

“Students really do get a unique advantage in life by attending the summer camp, said Andrew Head, Director of Center for Financial Success. “They leave campus armed with the kind of knowledge that most adults wish they had learned a long time ago. Our partnership with Abound has allowed us to dramatically increase the scope of the camp as well as the number of students that are able to attend”.

The Closing Awards Ceremony on June 29th and will feature guest speaker Abound CEO, Ray Springsteen. 

For more information on the Personal Finance Summer Camp, please visit https://www.wku.edu/program/fincamp.

WKU’s Center for Financial Success (CFS): The Center for Financial Success is housed in WKU’s Gordon Ford College of Business in Bowling Green, KY. The Center provides resources to aid the university and regional community in becoming financially informed and independent by utilizing a combination of faculty expertise, peer-to-peer coaching, and applied financial planning education.

Abound Credit Union: Abound Credit Union, a leader in financial education, has been providing valuable banking solutions to help hardworking Kentucky families thrive for 70 years. We’ve grown over the years and now have 18 locations, $2 billion in assets and over 115,000 military and civilian members. The Credit Union was named 2021’s Best Mortgage Lender and Best Financial Institution in The News-Enterprise Readers’ Choice Awards and has been recognized for its leadership in financial education at the state and national level. Abound Credit Union is also proud to be one of the Best Places to Work in Kentucky. It’s simple to become a Member, visit our website at www.AboundCU.com to see how you may be eligible.