Story by Class Act Federal Credit Union.

With a college degree, eight years of work experience and a full-time job as a middle school social studies teacher, Jamie Smith is quite accomplished for a 22-year-old. Her impressive achievements are not surprising given her incredible work ethic; however, she attributes a great deal of her success to her eight years of experience working at Class Act Federal Credit Union.

It all began when she was a freshman at Southern High School. Jamie’s teacher saw her potential and suggested she apply for a job at Class Act’s on-campus branch, where students have the opportunity to work at the credit union during one of their class periods. Jamie explained that participating students must maintain good grades, attendance, and behavior. These standards made her strive for excellence and gave her a sense of purpose. She found it especially exciting that the branch was open to the general public in addition to her peers.

Jamie had such a positive experience that she continued to work for Class Act through her senior year of high school and after graduation. “I practically grew up at the credit union,” Jamie said. She enjoyed building relationships with Class Act’s members and her co-workers. “You’re really working with family,” she remarked.

In her pursuit of becoming a teacher, Jamie briefly left Class Act to focus on getting her degree. When her former manager asked her to come back, however, she happily obliged. As an education-focused credit union, Class Act agreed to work around Jamie’s school schedule. This gave her the flexibility she needed to complete her degree and work on the side. Jamie was amazed at the support she received from Class Act while she was in school.

Jamie also acknowledges that her experience working for Class Act has opened a lot of doors for her. She’s had the opportunity to network and meet many people in the education community, which has been especially useful a new teacher.  She’s also gained knowledge about financial literacy that she hopes to bring to her classroom.

Now, Jamie continues to work on weekends in addition to teaching. “I was heartbroken a little bit,” Jamie said about briefly leaving Class Act. She missed seeing the members and her peers. In fact, Jamie believes that the connection she’s developed with Class Act’s members is what sets it apart from other financial institutions. “I know everyone I work with goes above and beyond to help the members around us. We’re not just bank tellers – we’re like friends and family there to support you.”

For more information on how you can join the Class Act community, call 502.964.7575 or email [email protected] today!