Tampa program preparing young women for their financial future

There is a program preparing young women for a secure future, and it starts with their bank account. At Pace for Girls, students are learning life-changing lessons about finances.

Pace is a year-round program that offers counseling, academic and life skills to girls ages 12-17.

At Pace for Girls, students are learning life-changing lessons about finances.

The Achieva Financial Literacy classes teach things like budgeting, building credit and managing bank accounts.

What they're saying:

"If you learn these, it will become your lifestyle. First is trying to learn something," said Kesha Drayton, Branch Manager at Achivia Credit Union. "As you get older, it's just easier if that's part of something that you do like going to work out, having a budget, being able to save."

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Students like Derriannah Lindsay see the value.

"If I'm going to be honest, I'm not the best saving, but I am trying to better myself with it," said Lindsay. "Is a hard habit to get into, but I feel like once I will, once I get into that cycle, I'll be fine."

For Achieva Credit Union counselor Corsha Rhodes, teaching financial literacy is more than just a job — it’s a passion. 

"I love this," said Rhodes. "I love this. This is my jam. And they're engaged. They're curious. They're asking questions. The teachers are engaged. I feel like they're getting something out of it."

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The program's ultimate goal is to help these young women build a foundation for financial success and independence.

"As women we have careers," said Drayton. "We have things that we want to achieve ourselves in our lives. So this way, we can give them that foundation of building on that to be able to have a successful life with their budgeting."

At Pace for Girls, students are learning life-changing lessons about finances.

The counselors believe the impact of these lessons will be long-lasting.

"They're going to know what to do. They're going to know where to go to find the resources, what questions to ask. They're going to know that it's okay to ask for help, and it's even more to help somebody else get a leg up," Rhodes said.

The program offers quarterly workshops led by experienced financial counselors.

The Source: Information for this story was gathered by FOX 13's Mark Wilson and Bryan Gray.

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