Nine Students Awarded a Total of $12,000
For 29 years, Sunward has supported student members with our annual Scholarship Competition. We extend our best wishes to our 2023 winners and thank the 22 members who volunteered their time as judges.
Of the 142 applications submitted, nine students received awards ranging from $500 to $4,000. Their essays addressed the question, “Imagine you’ve been asked to teach someone about money management. What topic(s) would you cover first, and why?” Following are excerpts from the top three winning essays. Visit Sunward.org/Scholarships to read full versions of their essays.
First Place: Taylor Pouges
Photo caption: Taylor attends the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Consumer, Apparel, and Retail Studies.
"Learning to discern between needs and wants would be one of the first topics I'd cover when teaching someone about money management. This skill helps in making thoughtful spending choices and avoiding impulsive purchases, which is crucial for building a strong foundation in personal finance."
Second Place: Michael Lopez
Photo caption: Michael will attend the University of Texas at Austin to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
“To teach someone about money management effectively, it is crucial to understand what you can do with money. With a solid foundation of money management, you can go on to learn more about the countless things you can do to maximize your financial future. After all, it’s never too early to start thinking about retirement.”
Third Place: Neal Bitsie
Photo caption: Neal attends New Mexico State University, pursuing a master’s degree in Business Administration.
“Budgeting is the foundation of all good money management. A good personal budget plan should outline how you will allocate your income to cover your expenses while trying to meet your saving goals.”
Additional 2023 Scholarship Winners (in alphabetical order)
Chloe Snell attends Kansas State University, pursuing a bachelor's degree in Speech-Language Pathology.
Cooper Kingston will attend the University of New Mexico to pursue a degree in Finance.
Daniel Richards attends the University of California, Berkeley, pursuing a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Jasmine Baca will attend New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology to pursue a degree in Mechanical Engineering.
Lenna Wilcox attends Brigham Young University, pursing a bachelor's degree in Mathematics Education.
Quinntita Sniegowski attends Texas Tech University, pursuing a master’s degree in Business Administration.
Information about Sunward’s 2024 Scholarship Competition will appear on slfcu.org and in the Spring 2024 edition of the Dollars & Sense e-newsletter.
