HENDERSONVILLE, N.C.– Mountain Credit Union has pledged funds to be used to help renovate the shared space at West Henderson High School currently used for Western North Carolina’s first ever Student Run, in-school CU branch. This partnership with Henderson County Public Schools gives students the opportunity to gain real-life experience and develop hands on cash handling and career skills, as well as run their branch and teach fellow students and teachers how to manage their accounts and finances, the credit union said.
The existing space for the In-School Credit Union branch is shared with the West Henderson Athletic Booster Club, which uses the area for concessions during sports events such as basketball, wrestling and volleyball. The need for renovations was conveyed to CU representatives when the Falcon’s First Branch of Mountain Credit Union was first opened in February 2015. Renovations have already begun and should be completed relatively quickly. Future plans are also in the works to add the technology needed to make the student run branch operate as similarly as possible to the CU’s seven traditional branch locations.
“When the Athletic Booster Club representatives at West shared with us that there was a need to renovate this space, it only seemed natural to step in and provide some of the funding necessary,” said Patty Idol, President / CEO of Mountain Credit Union
Below, from left, Jennifer Browning, West Henderson Accounting Teacher; Amy Woody, Mountain Credit Union Executive Vice President; Shannon Auten, West Henderson Principal; Chris Angel, Mountain Credit Union Business Development Director; Dean Jones, West Henderson Principal (Retired); Patty Idol, Mountain Credit Union President / CEO; Dr. Wendy Edney, Henderson County Public Schools Career & Technical Education Director.