The 17- to 25-year-old crowd has a new voice to talk savings, spending and all things finances.
Michigan First President/ CEO Michael Poulos announced that Macomb
Community College student Victoria Goldwater will take over as the Young
& Free Michigan spokester in June.
“I’m so excited to reach out to my age group, share financial advice
and really make an impact with people,” Goldwater, who hails from
Clinton Township, said. “It’s awesome to have this platform and speak
from my own experiences to help others get their adult lives started on
the right financial footing.”
In Goldwater’s role as the voice of Michigan First for her peers,
she’ll be a full-time employee responsible for writing daily blog posts,
creating weekly video updates, attending a variety of local events and
participating in multiple media opportunities around metro Detroit for
one year.
She’s the third-generation spokester for the credit union’s initiative to make a seemingly daunting topic accessible for youth.
“As a credit union founded by educators, it’s critical for us to
continue to share the value of making smart financial decisions with the
next generation — and to do it in a way that’s fresh and exciting,”
Poulos said in the announcement. “Victoria has risen to that challenge
and will be a wonderful ambassador for this program. With her vibrant
personality and outgoing nature, we’re thrilled to watch her engage with
audiences and help many more high school and college students, as well
as recent graduates, gain the tools to live young and free.”
Goldwater, a communications student, replaces spokester Austin
Chapman, who will return to Lawrence Technological University to finish
out his senior year.
“The spokester position and the Young & Free Michigan program
have been an absolute blast to be a part of this past year,” he said.
“The most important advice I’d pass along to Vicky is for her to have
fun and be herself; whether we’re blogging about our own financial lives
or making a video about the tough decisions we all have to make, people
really listen when we make it accessible and speak from the heart. It
isn’t about knowing all of the answers, but making our peers feel
comfortable and confident enough to ask the right questions. That’s what
living young and free is all about.”
More than 25 candidates were up for the position, and this year,
Young & Free Michigan spokester applicants were required to first
submit an essay and video to be voted for on online. The top 12 attended
Michigan First’s “Show Your Stuff Meet-Up event,” where each applicant
participated in a series of tasks, including mock media interviews,
managing a Michigan First exhibit booth and improvising a skit to
evaluate their ability to carry out the role as the next spokester.
The finalists from the event were also required to draft a blog post
on financial responsibility and film a video entry before a panel of
judges selected the winner.
Sure, there were hoops to jump through in the process, but Goldwater said she had fun with it.
“Going for the spokester position was so much more fun than applying
for a normal job,” she said. “My favorite part of the contest, one of
the Show Us Your Stuff Meet-Up challenges, was when we had to improvise a
skit on the spot with props, with Michigan First team members as
judges. I started without having any idea how I was going finish, but
had a blast.”
As part of the contest, Goldwater won an Apple MacBook Pro, an HD
video camera and a smartphone to use on the job. She also gets to drive
the Young & Free Michigan Chevy Cruze for the year, along with paid
gas and insurance. The remaining 11 finalists each received a $100 gift
card and Young & Free Michigan branded gifts.
For more information, visit www.youngandfreemichigan.com.
+ Original article
