★ AND THE AWARD GOES TO... ★
Money Smart Seawolves hosted a series of financial literacy workshops to educate students on important financial matters. All students who attended were entered into a lottery to win the value of in-state tuition for the following semester.
Below you will find a list of our previous winners and how Money Smart Seawolves workshops helped them become more financially savvy!
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SIMRAN MULTANI SPRING 2020 WINNER "I learned numerous concepts that I had no previous knowledge of, such as identity theft and how easy it is for someone to 'become you'." Simran is an undergraduate student on the path to gaining an Engineering degree. Although the financial literacy workshops did not directly relate to her major, she knew that they were extremely relevant to her as a consumer. After attending the workshops, she is very careful to look out for phishing emails and other fraudulent activities. |
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JULIET ROMANO SPRING 2020 WINNER "After attending the workshop, I definitely feel more comfortable managing finances on the internet and dealing with things like credit cards and identity theft. I would encourage others to attend these as well!" Juliet is a sophomore at Stony Brook studying History. She found out about the workshop through her ACH 275 class during the spring semester. She was required to attend any campus event or workshop and submit an assessment of it, so she chose the Money Smart Seawolves workshop. She knows that dealing with finances is something that she did not have a lot of experience with and could be confusing and daunting, so she took the class to enlighten herself. |
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JEWICK SHI FALL 2019 WINNER
“The workshops on credit and saving helped me realize my bad spending habits and shed
some light on the importance of starting to save early.”
Jewick is a freshman at Stony Brook studying Mechanical Engineering. He found out
about the Money Smart Seawolves Workshop Series by browsing the events page to fulfill
his ITS class assignment, and the topics offered caught his interest. He enjoyed the
workshops on credit and savings and was happy to come out of the workshops with more
knowledge for the future; winning the prize was just an added bonus.
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ALLISSA GAIL FALL 2019 WINNER
“Managing money has always overwhelmed and confused me. Attending the workshop, I
learned a variety of ways of organizing my money. I’m glad that I went because I feel
more prepared for the future.”
Allissa is currently a freshman here at Stony Brook studying Computer Science. She
learned about the workshop through her SSO-101 class during her fall semester. Although
the event was part of the course curriculum, she found the event to be enlightening
because it provided her with knowledge on topics that once confused her. She took
notes on a range of topics, from credit scores to budgeting, that she will use for
future references. She would recommend any of her peers to go.
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SONA KANNADAN SPRING 2019 WINNER
"I was able to put the material into practice this summer when I worked an on campus
job. I used to be stressed about budgeting for college and all 3 workshops helped
alleviate that burden. I actually forgot that I was entered into the scholarship and
I never expected to win but I realized there are a lot of financial resources on this
campus and you just need to know how to look for them."
Sona is currently a sophomore here at Stony Brook with an interest in political science
and ecology/evolutionary biology. She learned about the Money Smart Seawolves workshop
through the flyers handed out at the financial aid office. The knowledge she gained
from the workshops about budgeting was very useful for being financially prepared
for her upcoming year. The information was very influential in being ready for the
next semester and the win was an added bonus as well.
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ELIZABETH HARRACH SPRING 2019 WINNER
“I now know the difference between gross pay and net pay; different sources where
you can allocate part of your paycheck, other than just taxes. Before this workshop,
I barely even knew what a 401k was. The information in the workshop is not only interesting,
but will benefit me in the future.”
Elizabeth is a sophomore at Stony Brook studying biochemistry. She learned about the
workshop on the Stony Brook website while looking for scholarships to potentially
apply for. She ended up deciding to go even though she did not expect to win, thinking
the information might actually be useful. She went to a workshop focusing on jobs,
and has since used that knowledge both when applying for, and when looking at paychecks
from jobs.
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AMY VASILI FALL 2018 WINNER
"I really benefited immensely from attending the workshop. I never expected to actually
win. As a college student that has always had struggles with budgeting, the information
I learned during the event was prize enough to me. "
Amy is a Freshman at Stony Brook studying Business Management. She learned about the
workshop through her LDS-101 class during her fall semester because she had to attend
a plan event as the part of the course curriculum. Her decision to go was not just
because it was a requirement for one of her classes, but because she truly believed
it would provide her with more knowledge on how to be smarter with money. And that
it did. She remembers taking notes on the many ways and resources the event highlighted
that work to help college students save money. Since then, she has been much better
with the budgeting of her money. Amy found this workshop significantly helpful and
says she would recommend it to any peer here at Stony Brook.
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EVAN LASSITER FALL 2018 WINNER
"I actually was able to make a mature and responsible decision to manage my credit
card debt with the help of the workshops, and never expected to win the free tuition
raffle. Now it's a win-win!"
Evan is currently a freshman here at Stony Brook as an undecided major with an interest
in human evolutionary biology. He learned about the MoneySmart workshops through his friend
that attended with him. The knowledge he gained from this lecture not only helped him manage
to save for trips, but also illustrated how to balance his income with college necessities
such as food, music, and gasoline.
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RACHAEL COSTELL SPRING 2018 WINNER
"Learning about how to save for something recreational in the workshop was really
interesting and important to me because I have been slowly saving up for a trip to
see my friends in Denmark over the summer."
Rachael Costell is a senior majoring in Political Science and is planning a future
career in International foreign policy. As an older student who had returned to school
after taking a few years off to travel, she is very grateful for the opportunities
granted to her by the workshops to help her be more successful with her financial
planning.
Paying for school completely on her own, she was often in the Financial Aid office
looking for ways to help her afford tuition. That is how she heard about the workshops
offered during the semester. She said "I gained such valuable knowledge from attending
the workshops, that winning the raffle was truly an afterthought. I was so desperate
to find ways to manage the debt I had accrued, that I even drove through a snowstorm
to make it to the workshop. After learning about my options, I found a plan that really
worked for me. Now I am working towards paying off my debt and becoming more financially
stable on my own. I was unsure of how to make ends meet during this semester, so winning
the cost of tuition absolutely changed the game for me and I couldn't possibly be
more excited or grateful to the Financial Aid office!
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MARGARET BRADLEY
"I’d recommend it to anyone who feels like they never learned about the almighty dollar, or who feels overwhelmed at the thought of maintaining a credit card." Margaret is a double major in Astronomy and Marine Science with a minor in Music. She plays trumpet in the university orchestra and is the Aedile (PR person) for the Stony Brook University Latin Club. She learned about the workshop through an e-mail from the financial aid office. She feels that the workshops give you a chance to learn a little about being money smart and you can win some too; two birds, one stone.
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"It really helped me learn for my future as well as helping me now. Someone who was as uninformed on the topic as I was could really learn more than they think from these workshops." James D'Elia is a freshman majoring in Journalism and hopes ones day to become a sports broadcaster. He is part of the Spirit of Stony Brook Marching Band where he enjoys playing the clarinet. He heard about the credit workshop through the help of his mentor in the marching band, who took advantage of the Bring-A-Buddy system. He said, "The workshops were a major help in paving a path to a successful future and I'd highly recommend attending the workshops if you want to learn more on how to be a responsible adult".
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ZI YI ZHANG "Through the workshops, I was able to learn the basics of banking and saving along with the benefits of creating a budget to help me become more attentive and stay on track." Zi Yi Zhang is a freshman majoring in psychology on the pre-med track. She enjoys playing badminton and likes to seek adventure in hopes of traveling the world. She learned about the workshop series through an e-mail from the financial aid office and thought it was the perfect opportunity to start focusing on financial goals for the future. Luckily, she was able to take advantage of the Bring-A-Buddy program thanks to a group of supportive friends. She feels that the workshops are a great experience for people who wish to learn about financial skills and management and the knowledge that they will gain will be helpful for their future.
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BEN ONI LAFORTUNE
"The workshop provided me with tools on how to go about repaying debt and I actually shredded my credit card after attending one of the workshops due to my bad spending habits." Ben Oni Lafortune is a junior at Stony Brook majoring in Psychology with a minor in
Studio Art. The most valuable things he learned from the workshops were how to be financially smart and manage his debts. He would recommend the Money Smart Seawolves Workshop series to other students because, "not only are they useful, but it also would not hurt to possibly win the sum of in-state tuition for an hour of your time."
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ALICIA MESSINA
"The workshops on credit cards and savings were the most useful for me. I can honestly say my financial habits have changed for the better." Alicia Messina is going into her third year at Stony Brook as a Biochemistry major. She is also a Music minor and plays the flute in the University Wind Ensemble. After graduation she hopes to do research in a pharmaceutical lab. Alicia attended two session in the Fall 2016 and came back for all three topics in the Spring 2017. She heard about the Money Smart Seawolves workshops through an email from the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship Services. She said, "Thank God I didn't delete it, because not only did I learn a lot, but I wound up winning free tuition!"
JASON SIMS FALL 2016 WINNER "I thought the classes were worthwhile and very useful. I found the workshop on savings to be the most interesting. Understanding how interest rates and credit works can affect one's future." Jason Sims is a Sophomore double-majoring in Psychology and Business Management. He is also pursuing a minor in Accounting. He hopes to one day pursue a Ph.D in Psychology and open his own practice. Jason found out about the workshops when he walked into the Financial Aid office (located in Administration) and saw a sign detailing the information provided by the workshops. Attending the workshops has helped Jason in multiple ways. "I would recommend these workshops to others," he said. "Having this knowledge will make one's future more successful." |
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CATRINA WILTSHIRE FALL 2016 WINNER
"Looking back at what I learned, I would definitely recommend these workshops to all incoming freshman because it is valuable information that you need to know when entering college." Catrina Wiltshire is a Sophomore at Stony Brook University, where she is a Biology major on a pre-med track. She hopes to one day become a pediatrician. Catrina loves working with children, and, in her spare time, she enjoys reading a writing poetry. She was introduced to the workshops by a flyer that was given to her by none other than Wolfie, himself! After attending the Credit Workshop, Catrina said that she was influenced "to start considering getting a secured credit card instead of an unsecured credit card. I have found this very helpful, and I have begun looking into it with my bank." |
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SHELANA BAPTISTE SPRING 2016 WINNER "The program was extremely informative, especially for me, because I am an immigrant from the Caribbean where building credit and federal loans are not part of our financial system...The workshops helped me budget, and I even started paying a little of my debt." Shelana Baptiste is a transfer student majoring in Biochemistry on a pre-med track at Stony Brook. She found out about the Money Smart Seawolves Workshops through the orientation package flyers and decided to RSVP mainly for the financial information. Shelana attended all three of the semester's topics and brought a few friends for the bring-a-buddy entries. After attending the workshops, she said, "I would recommend this...to anyone attending Stony Brook, whether they are in debt, looking for information or just looking for a chance to win tuition. It was definitely worth attending." |
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ANGELINE CHEN "Before I knew about the chance to win free tuition I was already captivated by the topics the workshops were covering from Identity Theft to Dealing with Debt...These are the lessons you most likely will not be taught in the classes you will need to finish your degree." Angeline Chen is a Clinical Laboratory Sciences major, on track to become a Physician Assistant. She is involved with the SBU American Red Cross and is a UGC Fellow for HDV. Angeline was introduced to the workshops by an email newsletter and said she really enjoyed the workshops because the staff really tries to keep the presentations short and sweet, has a door prize raffle, and allows the Bring-a-Buddy entries. After attending the Identity Theft Workshop, Angeline said, "getting my identity stolen is one of my biggest worries." So, "I called my bank to upgrade my debit card so it'll have the chip." |
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HENRY SARPONG
"I recommend this workshop to anyone, especially undergrads to take this opportunity to learn how to protect themselves and the chance to win a life-changing scholarship." Henry Sarpong is a Psychology major, on the pre-med track, with a goal of helping others to have a healthy mind. He was introduced to the workshops by a friend, who was a prior winner of the Money Smart workshops. He attended all three topics and learned a great deal about Savings, Identity Theft, and Dealing with Debt. After attending a few workshops, he says he "fell in love with it." The content began to make sense to him once he started applying them to his life. "For example, after attending a workshop about savings, I started to make a budget for every week, and it saved me a lot of money and time." |
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MANUEL PIEDRA "Not only are these workshops very educational, but they offer students crucial information for financial stability. Going to these workshops was one of the best decisions I have made this school year." Manuel Piedra is a junior at Stony Brook, majoring in Health Science, a member of the Stony Brook Volleyball Team, and a student assistant at Red Mango as well as Roth Market Fresh. He heard about the financial workshops through his advisors and immediately signed up. After learning about the Bring-A-Buddy entries, he took full advantage and brought some friends to the following workshops. Once he learned more about it, he said, "I saw this as a double win because I am able to learn a lot about how to properly and responsibly manage my money along with the possibility of winning free tuition..." |
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MILAGROS DE LEON
"I am amazed about the outstanding job the Stony Brook Financial aid office is doing to ensure every Seawolf is Money Smart!" Milagros De Leon was a sophomore at Stony Brook, on the pre-med track, with a minor in English. She saw the workshops advertised on the Student Activities website and decided to RSVP for it. She brought a few friends with her to the first workshop on Identity Theft, without realizing she would get additional entries for the Bring-A-Buddy system. She continued attending the workshops hoping to win one of the door prize raffles. Instead, she was a grand prize winner! She said, "I’ve learned a lot about how I can protect my identity, how to handle debts from school loans, and just simple things as savings." |
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MICHAEL LAM
"Workshops like these help to provide crucial information that will help you toward your financial success." Michael Lam was a Senior at Stony Brook, majoring in Psychology, with the goal of becoming a Clinical Psychologist. He came to the workshop as a friend's buddy for the Bring-A-Buddy entries. He was just hoping to learn more about how to save money in the future. The Identity Theft workshop hit home for him. "It brought back memories of when my identity was stolen. I couldn't help but think if only I had known what to do in that situation; I could have prevented it." |
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NOELLE OSEI-TUTU
"I am extremely appreciative for the opportunity to participate in the informative workshops and for winning the lottery. I learned valuable lessons that I will keep with me now and in the future." Noelle Osei-Tutu was a freshman at Stony Brook, majoring in biology on the Pre-Med track, in the hopes of becoming a pediatrician. She originally saw the workshops being advertised in the financial aid office. She was curious about learning more and decided to sign up on the spot. She thought her chances of winning the lottery were slim, but she attended all three topics anyway, soaking up all of the information on budgeting, banking and credit. "Thank you for the lifelong lessons that the workshops have taught me. I'm still surprised that I won! " |
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RICHARD ROBINETT "After attending the workshops I was able to restructure my budget in a way that now enables me to save much more money for future loan payments." Richard Robinett was a junior at Stony Brook, majoring in sustainability studies and playing on the men's Rugby team. He originally saw the workshops being advertised and thought it would be a great way to learn about effective budgeting. After he signed up for a workshop he learned about the chance to win in-state tuition and ended up attending all three of the workshops offered. "I am so grateful to have won the lottery and am fortunate enough to have a bit more wiggle room in the annual budget. This is a great opportunity, not only for a chance at the lottery, but also to conceptualize your allowances within a greater framework that is post-college"
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HEATHER PARK
"I know for a fact that the lessons I learned from these workshops will stay with me for a lifetime, and aid me in making more responsible decisions with my money." Heather Park was a junior at Stony Brook, studying linguistics in the hopes of pursuing a career in Speech Language Pathology. In Fall 2013, Heather received a Facebook invitation to attend Money Smart Seawolves financial literacy workshops. Heather thought, "Why not?" and decided to attend, although she thought her chances
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