Written By: Tunisha Brown
Through a powerful partnership between IMPACT Magazine, Mountain America Credit Union, Goldman Sachs, Comcast, and Utah Foster Care, emPOWERed To IMPACT is creating a pathway where financial literacy, mentorship, and opportunity meet, long before students are forced to navigate adulthood on their own.
For many students in Utah Foster Care, turning 18 doesn’t just mean graduating high school. It often means aging out of systems of support while being expected to manage finances, housing, credit, and employment with little guidance. emPOWERed To IMPACT is partnering to interrupt that reality.
This initiative centers students, particularly juniors and seniors; by giving them access, education, and tangible opportunity.
From Education to Empowerment
At the heart of the program are monthly in-person financial literacy sessions led by Mountain America Credit Union, designed to meet students where they are and build confidence step by step.
The sessions begin in January with Banking Basics, demystifying checking accounts, savings, loans, and credit cards; tools many adults use daily but were never formally taught to understand.
In February, students tackle Credit Myths, Busted, learning how credit scores really work, how to build or repair credit, and what rights they have as consumers; knowledge that can shape their financial futures for decades.
March introduces a new course, Budget Breakthrough, helping students understand not just where their money goes, but how to make intentional choices that support independence and stability.
April opens the door to long-term thinking with Investing for Everyone, showing students that investing isn’t just for the wealthy, it’s for anyone willing to learn the basics and start where they are.
In May, the focus turns to protection with Sensing and Stopping a Scam, equipping students with the tools to recognize fraud, avoid common scams, and safeguard their financial well-being in an increasingly digital world.
Additional sessions, including Everyday Financial Success and Prioritizing Spending to Free Yourself from Debt, dive deeper into budgeting psychology, debt reduction strategies like the snowball and avalanche methods, and the habits that lead to long-term financial freedom.
These aren’t lectures. They’re conversations. They’re tools. They’re bridges.
A Moment That Changes Everything
The program culminates in May, when selected seniors will be awarded the Evelyn Yvonne Resource Scholarship at a special program hosted at Goldman Sachs; a moment designed to be both symbolic and transformative.
The scholarships are not just financial support; they are affirmations of potential, resilience, and possibility.
More Than a Program, A Commitment
With Comcast supporting access and connectivity, Mountain America providing education and mentorship, Goldman Sachs hosting and investing in students’ futures, and Utah Foster Care ensuring students are supported through transition, emPOWERed To IMPACT is proof of what happens when organizations move beyond performative partnerships and into purpose-driven collaboration.
