LOWELL, Mass.–After much anticipation throughout the summer, Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union announced its newest high school branch at Nashua High School South is officially open. To celebrate, Jeanne D’Arc staff, students and faculty from Nashua High School South, and officials from Nashua School District gathered for a ribbon cutting ceremony.
The new branch is located in the main entrance hallway of the school, and is accessible to students, faculty and teachers during regular school hours. It also includes a convenient walk-up ATM, a feature students are very excited about.
“It’s a great opportunity for students to learn about financial services,” said Donna Fitzpatrick, Assistant Superintendent of Nashua School District. “It’s important for them to learn how to manage money at a young age,” she added.
The opening of the new high school branch comes just one year after the Credit Union’s first New Hampshire branch opened in Nashua on Spit Brook Road in September 2016. The Credit Union also has high school branches at Dracut High School and Lowell High School.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to extend our mission even further into the Nashua community,” said Mark S. Cochran, president and CEO of Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union. “This new branch allows us to provide both convenient banking services and financial education to the Nashua High School South community. We are proud to be part of the school.”
In addition to the in-school branch, the partnership between Jeanne D’Arc and Nashua High School South includes an Introduction to Financial Services internship course, taught by a certified member of the Credit Union’s Financial Education team. Through an extensive curriculum, students learn basic banking practices and gain valuable knowledge of financial products and services. The class also includes hands-on experience where students work in the branch, assisting members and managing cash.
At right, from left: Varun Modadugu, Nashua High School South student and Credit Union intern; Joshua Porter, Regional Financial Education Manager at Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union; George Farrington, President of the Nashua Board of Education; Marianne Dustin, Co-Director, Career & Technical Ed at Nashua High School South; Mark S. Cochran, President and Chief Executive Officer of Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union; Keith Richard, Principal of Nashua High School South; Donna Fitzpatrick, Assistant Superintendent of Nashua School District; Garth McKinney, Assistant Superintendent of Nashua School District; Elizabeth Chhoeum, Financial Education Representative at Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union; and Francis Eppolito, Nashua High School South student and Credit Union intern.