Graduation Ceremony Marks Close of 2007-2008 Financial Literacy Project
News Release - April 01, 2008
Media Contact:
Emily L. Lucier
Press Secretary and Media Manager
emily.lucier@cnu.edu
(757) 594-8428
(NEWPORT NEWS, Va.) - Another special graduation ceremony has marked the close of this year’s Financial Literacy Project. On Wednesday March 19th, CNU students and graduates coming from four area Boys and Girls Clubs gathered in the David Student Union ballroom on campus to be honored. Speakers included Dr. Stephanie Bardwell, Acting Dean of the Joseph W. Luter III College of Business and Leadership, Jerry Gammon, Senior Director of Operations and James A. “Poo” Johnson, Assistant Chief Executive Officer, both of the Virginia Peninsula Boys and Girls Club, and Gemma Kotula, Director of the CNU Center for Economic Education. Graduates were awarded diplomas and were presented with gold presidential dollars encased in piggy banks to promote saving.
The CNU students participating is this project were Katie Baker, Krista Blackburn, Josh Blaher, Adam Boddicker, Andrew Brandt, Sarah Brown, Benjamin Burnheimer, Jason Campbell, Jessica Foster, Caroline Hallum, Christopher Hepburn, Patricia Hoen, Conor Lynch, Mallory Martin, Erica Ogurcak, Valerie Paquette, Alex Robinson, Daniel Romero, Mary Scott Sayre, Field Springer, Seth Stout, Katy Tecson, Laura Thompson, Ciera Walters, and Jonathan Wu. All are business students from the Joseph W. Luter III College of Business and Leadership.
Following the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) guidelines, the CNU students taught Market Economics, Success Skills, Entrepreneurship, and Business Ethics to over 135 youngsters ages 6-16. The training took place at three Boys and Girls Club locations in Newport News, Virginia; The Pinedale Unit, The Greater Hampton Roads Unit, and The Peninsula Unit and the Gloucester Boys and Girls Club in Gloucester, VA. These students were joined by students from the Brighton Court Unit, Oyster Point Unit, Lassiter Court Unit, Marshall Court Unit, Autumn Lakes Unit and Mathews.
This project is ongoing with some of the CNU students receiving training in Fall 2007, some being trained Spring 2008. Last year, CNU welcomed more than 200 attendees to the first special graduation ceremony in November 2007. The Financial Literacy Project was started to educate and inform students of all ages across Hampton Roads in the importance of hands on learning, civic engagement, financial knowledge, ethics and understanding. Sponsors for this program include Stephens Financial Partners, LLC; VECTEC, SIFE, CNU Center for Economic Education and the Virginia Council for Economic Education. For more information on the Financial Literacy Project and how to get involved, contact: Gemma Kotula at gkotula@cnu.edu or (757) 594-7184.
Christopher Newport University is a four-year public university in Newport News, Virginia. CNU enrolls 4,800 students in programs through its College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Joseph W. Luter III College of Business and Leadership and offers great teaching, small classes and an emphasis on leadership, civic engagement and honor.
Visit us at www.cnu.edu.