Dorothy Nolan

Family Focus Federal Credit Union promotes the value of financial literacy. Upon opening an account, I had many questions about credit that were met with information rich answers from Family Focus staff. I greatly appreciate the support received and have mirrored this value in my current area of work as a mentor. As a College Possible Coach, I provide curriculum and support to highly motivated high school students; a huge part of our work together involves discussion of financial literacy and financial aid. I am extremely grateful for the ways that my educational history and journey has allowed me to share all that I’ve learned in support of students and communities.

Family Focus is centered on serving and supporting families as another core value. College Possible’s recruitment model is family focused. When recruiting students to our college readiness program, we must also recruit and support students’ families, as family plays an important influential role in a student's educational journey. In my next education and career path, family will also be a significant component. During the course of my service year with College Possible, I developed a hobby tracing my ancestry as the first in my family to complete a record of our tree. After collecting information from historical databases, I wrote a story about the life of my 3rd-greatgrandfather born in Indian Territory Oklahoma during the 1800s. Learning of historical facts such as the Dawes Roll that created private land ownership in Oklahoma left me with the impression that there is much yet to discover. I began to imagine the possibilities presented by genealogy, as family histories are often lost from lack of oral tradition and failure to bequeath records from one generation to the next.

Historical facts often intertwine with genealogy; each record of family history may act as a thread that when woven together, forms a cloth of information-rich collective history that may be preserved for generations to come. My goal is to engage in historical-genealogical non-profit work, helping families with the difficulties of constructing a family tree. Further education at the graduate level will enable me to achieve my aims.

Taylor Ewer

The credit union movement and I share some common values, including community, kindness, and dedication. I see these values within Family Focus every time I visit. Everyone is friendly, I am always included, and if a problem arises, they are right there, happy to help.

A core quality within credit unions often revolve around serving their members instead of catering a personal agenda to succeed as a company. This rings true, and shows me the true kindness and compassion of Family Focus Federal Credit Union. I try every day to implement this selflessness by putting others before myself, serving them with love and joy. Although I am not directly involved in financial services on a daily basis, I still recognize and appreciate the values that the credit union movement embodies.

As a whole, Family Focus provides many opportunities for growth, including support, skill development, and networking. These qualities will allow me to step out of my comfort zone and grow as an individual. Finances are a huge part of my vision for myself in the future, and I know I will have acquired everything I will need to become successful in that area by my involvement within Family Focus. FFFCU provides members with many opportunities to get connected and succeed, one example being this exact scholarship.

This credit union has made me better as a person, and also has begun to impact my future. I can’t wait to see where time takes me!