Yokaira Concepcion.
HAZLETON, Pa. — As a student ambassador for the Penn State Sokolov-Miller Family Financial and Life Skills Center, Penn State Hazleton third-year student Yokaira Concepcion is not only educating fellow students about financial literacy, but she’s also gaining critical knowledge that will benefit her own future.
Concepcion, a criminal justice major, Lion Ambassador and president of the campus Student Government Association, applied for the part-time role in January after hearing about the opportunity through the Council of Commonwealth Student Governments (CCSG) and her student email.
After she was hired for the position, she was trained in how to deliver financial literacy knowledge to her peers in one-on-one meetings and presentations to students or in classes of instructors who request the service. Concepcion is also tasked with spreading general awareness of the center’s tools and resources.
“If you don’t talk about finances, you’ll never learn about them,” she said. “People need to know how to make their money work for them and the resources from the Sokolov-Miller Family Financial and Life Skills Center are a great place to start.”
The Sokolov-Miller Family Financial and Life Skills Center’s mission is to provide the knowledge and skills to manage financial resources effectively for a lifetime of financial well-being by offering free services to the entire Penn State community.
Resources include one-on-one appointments, opportunities to be paired with an alumni mentor and access to self-study modules on a range of self-topics, including mortgages, credit cards, debt management, student loans, salary negotiations, taxes, identity theft and investing.
“It’s so much smarter to learn these skills when we’re younger instead of running into problems when we’re older,” she said.
What’s more is that Concepcion is learning valuable lessons herself.
“I’m building skills I can use in my own life, too,” she said.
Email [email protected] to set up a one-on-one or classroom appearance. For questions, visit Concepcion’s office in Room 106B of the Multicultural Center for Student Engagement or email her at [email protected].
