By D. MASON STEHLE
STAFF WRITER

Thinking about your future can be stressful, especially when it comes to financial security. A degree from St. Lawrence is a step towards securing your future, but not always enough.

Fortunately, St. Lawrence students are now in a position for not only receiving a distinguished education but a practical financial schooling as well. Career Services’ Financing Your Future Series is the first step to investing in yourself and fulfilling your future goals.

April is Financial Literacy Month, and an appropriate time for SLU’s new financial programming, a three-part series meant to provide students with tools to succeed monetarily. The first part of the series took place on Friday, April 7, in the Hannon Room. The session, titled Personal Budgeting and Long-Term Investment Strategies, was an insightful look into the challenges of retiring on your own terms in today’s economy.

The session was led by Brian Wilcox ’85, P’14, ’18, and Ron Bacon ’82, two St. Lawrence alumni looking to impart their financial wisdom to students.

Citing an expanding global middle class and sustained technological advancement, the pair encouraged optimism and foresight, advising students to consider the stock market not as a risky venture, but rather as an opportunity to obtain “fractional shares of interest in the great companies of America.”

Brian Wilcox ’85, Wealth Management Advisor at Northwestern Financial Network, expressed his dismay at the state of financial education in high schools and hoped that courses similar to his would be “taught in lieu of trigonometry.” When asked what the most important takeaway from the session should be, Wilcox ’85 encouraged students to “put ten percent of your money away every year of your life.”

Ron Bacon ’82, VP Commercial Banking Officer at Community Bank, N.A., lent his practical knowledge about credit scores, student loans, budgeting, and fraud to students attending the session. Detailing his personal experiences with scammers and fraud, Bacon ’82 demonstrated the sophistication of today’s criminals and how best to avoid being victimized.

“I learned the importance of saving as a youth, so that I can plan ahead and have a great time in my golden years,” said Olivia Har ‘20, who attended the program.

The second leg of Career Services’ new financial programming, Start Smart: Salary Negotiations for Women Seminar, took place at Clarkson University on Tuesday, 11 April. The seminar was hosted by the Young Women’s Leadership Institute (YWLI) and was open to women from all four local colleges.

The YWLI, founded in 2014, is a coalition of local organizations that seeks to support college students by raising awareness of leadership programs, organizing conferences or events, and offering mentoring connections to local women.

Anna Brouillette ’17 was one of the 12 SLU students to attend the seminar. “ I would definitely encourage other female SLU students to attend the seminar in the future,” said Brouillette. “Given the persisting pay gap, having resources and tools to utilize while embarking on the negotiation process is particularly important for women,” she added

The final event of the Financing Your Future Series, titled Demystifying Your First Employee Benefits Package & Better Understanding Your Health Care Coverage, will take place on Friday, April 14, in Student Center Room 336 at 2:00 P.M. This seminar, led by Debra Mousaw P’18, will give students the opportunity to fully understand their first employee benefits package.

Financial literacy is essential to securing your future, and St. Lawrence’s new financial programming helps students develop practical, lifelong skills.

A team of faculty are working on a more comprehensive campus approach for next year that will benefit Laurentians greatly in the years to come.