Lots of high school students are sent blindly into college without common knowledge about the Weld County community or how financial affairs actually work. The Cache Bank & Trust has worked to become more involved in the schools in Greeley, and help prepare and inform kids about these troubling topics. As a result, they have created a Junior Board of Trustees for students from across the district to partake and learn through volunteer work and educational sessions. This year, seniors Megan Arscott, Sam Diaz, and Spencer Evans are serving as trustees from Greeley West.

Even as a relatively new program, being founded just 18 years ago, the Junior Board of Trustees has been able to provide numerous opportunities that many students do not get. This year’s trustees served the community at the Greeley Stampede and at the Snowpile Event at Children’s Hospital Colorado. The Snowpile was “a really cool experience,” said trustee Arscott, “because you got to see how many children were helped out.”

In addition to service projects, the seniors also get to learning opportunities centered on small businesses and financial affairs. Trustees toured the Cache bank, learned about the foundations of a local small business, Greeley Hat Works, learned about the basics of credit, and responsibility with credit cards. Students are supplied with valuable information that can carry prove useful after high school. “I think it helps me better understand finances while I’m living on my own,” said Arscott.

Once a month, the 12 high school seniors convene for a one hour meeting on their lunch hours to discuss various topics amongst themselves or with guest speakers. As the board is limited to high school seniors, the current representatives will be graduating from positions and new members are being scouted. In an attempt to recruit new members, Cache Bank and Trust hosted a meeting at West Tuesday to inform 15 juniors with the highest GPAs about their chance to join the board.

“While I’m sad, I’ve really enjoyed what I have done,” Arscott said. “I’m really glad that I was part of it.”