Finding Career Satisfaction Through Center for Financial Advancement®
As a sophomore at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina, Jessica Carney-Perks was always looking for experiences that would enrich her life. When she heard about the Center for Financial Advancement®, through her school’s Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement, she knew their programming fit the bill.
One opportunity she took advantage of through Center for Financial Advancement® changed the way she thought about money. Carney-Perks participated in an event called a Hackathon, which was sponsored by Experian. The Hackathon was a competition in which teams of students worked together to develop credit education programs designed to increase the credit-savviness of their peers. It followed a six-month credit education program from the enter for Financial Advancement‘s Credit Academy, in which approximately 250 scholars from 14 HBCUs received lessons in credit management, budgeting and generational wealth-building. Carney-Perks’ team worked on a program that would provide students with financial coaching and advice for improving their credit.
“I think I learned more about my relationship with money because of that particular partnership,” she says. “After participating in that, it became a no-brainer to save rather than pushing myself to make each paycheck stretch. I’ve seen an immense amount of growth, not only in my credit score, but just my own personal savings because of participation in this program.”
Carney-Perks’ experience with Center for Financial Advancement® also opened her eyes to new career opportunities. While attending the Money4Life Leadership Summit, a conference that develops diverse leaders for the real estate finance industry, she met Amber Lawrence, Associate Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at the Mortgage Bankers Association. They were looking for an intern to work in their DEI office and she was selected. In the process, she realized that you could have a major impact on the mortgage industry even if you’re not crunching numbers. In her role, “we add value to not only the people that are looking to be serviced by these organizations, but the people providing the services,” she says.
Professional development is one of the goals of the Center for Financial Advancement® program. “Jessica has maximized every learning opportunity in the Center for Financial Advancement®. Through her participating in the Experian Center for Financial Advancement® Credit Academy, interning with the MBA and being an example for other Center for Financial Advancement® scholars by taking advantage of every Center for Financial Advancement® learning opportunity, Jessica has sharpened her financial and leadership skills that are key building blocks to her future success” says Gwen Garnett, Executive Director for the Center for Financial Advancement®. At the 2023 Money4Life Summit, Carney-Perks will be recognized as a Center for Financial Advancement® Scholar of the Year.
Overall, Carney-Perks is happy that she is contributing to an industry that plays such a major role in the lives of everyday Americans. “Being able to help create the foundation for someone else to build generational wealth brings me pride and joy,” she says.
