There’s less than a month left to enter our Essay Challenge for a chance to win a $5,000 college scholarship. Through April 22nd, seniors in AK, AZ, CA, WA, and WY can enter by submitting an essay answering this question: What does financial success mean to you? You could be our next winner! Just ask Chelsea, one of our previous $5,000 prize winners.

Seven years ago, Huntington Beach wife and mother Robyne Wood noticed that many at-risk kids were not receiving the help they needed. Existing programs emphasized adults already struggling with drug and alcohol problems. Few options were available to teens lacking family support or living in an abusive environment, but not facing personal issues like addiction or crime. With the encouragement of friends, she started the non-profit Robyne’s Nest to fill the gap. The organization’s purpose, she says, is to help students “write their own future, and not be products of their past.”

For the past few months, we’ve been tracking the construction of our new Wasilla branch. It’s so close to completion! Today, we’re announcing brand new services that will be available to members in the Mat-Su Valley with the opening of this branch.

Lakewood High School students and JROTC cadets joined our “Let’s Talk Finance: Financial Literacy for Teens" event on March 16th. It was an exciting day filled with prizes, free snacks, a live DJ, and unforgettable learning experiences. Our special guest, Comedic Financial Speaker Colin Ryan, delivered a memorable talk using humor and storytelling to teach students the importance of money management.

The deadline to file your 2021 tax returns or request an extension is coming up on April 18th. As you prepare, we wanted to offer a few tips to help you get through the season and understand what has changed since last year.

After a busy year of studying, working a part-time job, and participating in extracurriculars, Cori has learned a lot about budgeting and preparing for unexpected challenges. Winning the Essay Challenge last year equipped her with the financial skills necessary to launch a successful college career. She drafts budgets for rent and food, confidently makes payments at her university cashier's office, and saves for unexpected expenses—all using the lessons she learned as a high school senior in our scholarship program.

For months, each Orange County Housing Report has mentioned the insane pace of the current Hot Seller’s Market. This trend has not changed. As the spring market approaches on March 20th, demand continues to outpace inventory. We’re still in the middle of a massive inventory crisis.

We’re gearing up to award six promising high school seniors a total of $30,000 through our annual Essay Challenge scholarship program! Now through April 22nd, seniors in AK, AZ, CA, WA, and WY can earn $5,000 for college in the fall by submitting an essay answering this question: What does financial success mean to you?