‘101’ Courses Offer Students financial literacy and guidance

To prepare Knox College students for post-graduation life, Health and Counseling Services is partnering with the Bastian Family Center for Career Success to host KnoxWell workshops on finance and benefits. The programs are not only designed for students, but anyone interested in financial planning.

“Health and Wellness is a collaborative organization where we are looking at an individual's whole health which includes the stressors of adulthood like financials and insurance,” Assistant Dean of Student Health and Wellness Jeanine Fox said. “We hope to help equip these young adults with all the information to be successful within the KnoxWell facet (emotional, physical, community, purpose, financial, and social). My hope is to include the KnoxWell initiative as a whole piece to the student's development through their college experience.”

The first session, Financial Advising 101, was with Charles (CL) Cummings, president of Galesburg’s Tompkins State Bank. Cummings led a workshop on financial wellness, covering basics like budgeting, student loans, and debt.

“I wanted better financial literacy skills before I graduate and go out into the world,” said psychology major Evan Morris ’27. “It’s very scary, real adulting and adult finances. College prepares you very well education-wise but that practical skill stuff, budgeting things, you don’t really get an education on. For me, my biggest thing is building credit, how big of a role that plays, which is very hard to do as a young adult because you’re starting at zero.”

Part 2 of the Financial 101 series covered banking and budgeting. Guest speaker Andrew Thomas, financial planner at Charterpoint Wealth Strategies, dove into financial benefits and independence. Students learned the importance of setting up retirement plans and taking advantage of employer-sponsored 401(k) plans. 

Upcoming sessions focus on benefits and insurance, featuring Hannah Alecock, insurance navigator at Eagleview Community Health Systems, who will lead an interactive session simplifying complex aspects of adulthood.

The final dialogue covers insurance and healthcare benefits. Students will learn to review employment benefits and understand different kinds of insurance.

“I think events like these are huge,” Morris said of the initial program. “I like that he (Cummings) gave us actionable next steps because you don’t get that a lot. I definitely now have a to-do list to go home and check my credit.”