Empowering Hilltoppers: Abound gifts $500k to WKU's Center for Financial Success
On October 2, Ray Springsteen, President and CEO of Abound Credit Union, announced a $500,000 gift to support Western Kentucky University's Center for Financial Success. The Center, part of the Gordon Ford College of Business, will now be known as WKU Center for Financial Success sponsored by Abound Credit Union.
"Our commitment to WKU is action oriented," said Springsteen. "We listen to where the needs are and connect the dots to make it happen. The passionate teaching happening inside this Center is exactly what we're doing in our 20 branches throughout the state. It's exactly what hundreds of Abound Team Members are doing inside classrooms daily. Supporting that same action on the Hill is an honor."
Abound's sponsorship will double the number of student workers and staff within the Center. The $500,000 gift, distributed over five years, will expand the Center's programming and reach, including the Financial Coaching Program and the annual WKU Personal Finance Summer Camp.
"This partnership equips our students with valuable, hands-on experience-providing them with opportunities to fully immerse themselves in the world of financial coaching and gain real-world skills while earning their degrees," said Timothy C. Caboni, President of WKU. "When our Hilltoppers put classroom knowledge into action during their collegiate journey, it's a win-win for them, for their future employers and for the communities they go on to serve," he added.
At Abound, we know that financial education changes lives. That impact is seen daily at the Center, where finance students provide one-on-one coaching to their peers on topics like budgeting, credit building and student loan management. Emir Avdagic, a current student who serves as Outreach Coordinator and a Financial Coah at the Center, shared that working at the Center has transformed him personally, academically and professionally.
"The experience of guiding students to reach their financial goals-and seeing them succeed-reminds me every day why this work matters," Avdagic said. "Thanks to Abound Credit Union, we can empower even more students to build confidence and take control of their financial future."
Abound is proud to support financial education at WKU and to continue promoting financial wellness across the Commonwealth, helping students to make informed decisions in the classroom and beyond.
"Our commitment to WKU is action oriented," said Springsteen. "We listen to where the needs are and connect the dots to make it happen. The passionate teaching happening inside this Center is exactly what we're doing in our 20 branches throughout the state. It's exactly what hundreds of Abound Team Members are doing inside classrooms daily. Supporting that same action on the Hill is an honor."
Abound's sponsorship will double the number of student workers and staff within the Center. The $500,000 gift, distributed over five years, will expand the Center's programming and reach, including the Financial Coaching Program and the annual WKU Personal Finance Summer Camp.
"This partnership equips our students with valuable, hands-on experience-providing them with opportunities to fully immerse themselves in the world of financial coaching and gain real-world skills while earning their degrees," said Timothy C. Caboni, President of WKU. "When our Hilltoppers put classroom knowledge into action during their collegiate journey, it's a win-win for them, for their future employers and for the communities they go on to serve," he added.
At Abound, we know that financial education changes lives. That impact is seen daily at the Center, where finance students provide one-on-one coaching to their peers on topics like budgeting, credit building and student loan management. Emir Avdagic, a current student who serves as Outreach Coordinator and a Financial Coah at the Center, shared that working at the Center has transformed him personally, academically and professionally.
"The experience of guiding students to reach their financial goals-and seeing them succeed-reminds me every day why this work matters," Avdagic said. "Thanks to Abound Credit Union, we can empower even more students to build confidence and take control of their financial future."
Abound is proud to support financial education at WKU and to continue promoting financial wellness across the Commonwealth, helping students to make informed decisions in the classroom and beyond.
