A surge of student interest turned last month's “Adulting Your Wallet” into one of the semester’s most in-demand career readiness events, and highlighted the impact that alumni can make on students’ development.

“I think the exceptional turnout for this this event underscores the growing appetite for real-world financial skills among SUNY Oswego students,” said Gary Morris, director of Career Services who organized the event with Yadi Aranda Burgos of the Financial Aid office. As SUNY Oswego graduates from 1988 and 2022, respectively, they have seen a lot of evolution in financial readiness and are happy to support future alumni through these kinds of programs.

Hosted in collaboration with Equitable Advisors, Citizens Bank, Career Services and Financial Aid, the program drew nearly 180 students — far exceeding the 40 seats originally planned, with a line stretching well beyond the venue 40 minutes before the doors even opened.

The evening featured a lineup of financial professionals and Oswego alumni presenters, including Kurt D’Angelo ’02 M’07, Joseph Sgro, Ann Heyen, Raymond Sykes ’96 and Sheri Tuttle M’21, who guided students through three core sessions:

  • “Your Wallet Called - It’s Tired of the Chaos” shared practical budgeting and saving strategies for post-graduation
  • “Free Money (Said No One Responsible Ever)” explained credit scores, student loans and responsible borrowing
  • “Investing - Because Ramen Won’t Be Cute at 65” covered evaluating job offers, understanding benefits and planning for saving and retirement

Through interactive discussions and practical scenarios, students explored budgeting, credit, salary negotiation and investing, and learned how those areas connect directly to life after graduation.

A creative food-and-ticket system even demonstrated how financial decisions can shape everyday quality of life. Some received no-planning tickets and were offered water and basic food. Others had planned and budgeted and received luxury level tickets with specialty mocktails and hearty h’oeuvres. (Eventually, all were invited to eat at any level.)

“The appetizer set up served as a tangible demonstration that financial planning actually matters to their quality of life now and going forward,” Morris said. “It was a fun and memorable way to show students how their decisions will make an impact on their lifestyles.”

The first 50 student attendees received swag bags filled with resources to continue their learning, including a personal finance book, "Why Didn’t They Teach Me This in School: 99 Personal Money Management Principles to Live By," to help reinforce key concepts beyond the session.

Student feedback reflected the impact, with many calling the session “worth every second” and expressing newfound confidence in managing their financial futures. One commented: “They never taught me this in high school so I’m glad to be learning about it now.”

The feedback also found that 98 percent of attendees reported having a better understanding of the principle that financial success is less about how much money you make and more about how much money you keep and how hard you make it work for you. And more than 92 percent said they had a better understanding of how credit scores and student loans work, of employee benefits and health savings accounts, of retirement savings and pension plans, and of evaluating real-word expenses and identifying their “monthly surplus.”

Morris extended a special thanks to the alumni and corporate partners, as well as Students Helping Oz Peers, Director of Event Management Holli Coats Stone (a 1996 SUNY Oswego alum) for last-minute facilities coordination and Auxiliary Services for seamlessly scaling catering to meet overwhelming demand.

Based on the feedback and success of this event, Morris said he expects to continue to host similar financial readiness events in the future.

-- Submitted by University Advancement