Oct. 25, 2024 - Zaniya Bryant said she wanted to be a part of something bigger than herself.
So, when the junior at Riverside High School heard about the new VyStar Academy of Business coming to her school, she jumped at the chance to get involved.
Flash forward just a few months later, and Bryant is now one of 12 student-interns with the VyStar Academy at Riverside, and they were all there on Thursday to help celebrate the program’s ribbon cutting on campus.
“It has been a stepping stone into the business world,” Bryant shared. “It goes beyond financial literacy. I’m learning leadership, communication, and professionalism.”
They’re all goals that leaders with VyStar and the district say are deeply embedded in the program.
The VyStar Academy of Business High School Branch Program helps students learn financial wellness by providing them with the opportunity to operate a student-run credit union on campus. Through this experience, and under the supervision of school faculty and VyStar staff, students get to see first-hand the inner workings of key financial services.
“It’s important to have a VyStar partnership on our campus because it gives students the opportunity to learn financial literacy,” said Kenyada Pearson, a teacher at the school who co-supervises the program with another educator.
Pearson said students not only manage the branch by operating as tellers and member specialists, but they also operate as marketers by giving presentations to their classmates about the importance of managing money and wealth building.
“Our goal is to deliver financial education both to and through our students,” said Michael Rathjen, VyStar Vice President of High School Programs. “The more we can do to bring the education to life for students, the better.”
The branch at Riverside High is the sixth VyStar student-run credit union at a Duval County Public Schools high school, and the 19th student-run branch overall for VyStar.
For Bryant, who is the student manager of the bank, being involved with the Academy has not only allowed her to explore the world of finances, but it has also helped her in her personal life.
“This has made a lasting impact on my life,” Bryant said. “It’s allowed me to inform my family and peers about the importance of finances. It’s affected me as an individual and allowed me to grow personally.”