University at Buffalo School of Management

Autumn 2016 Buffalo Business 19 you really begin to under- stand the problem — many teenagers aren't learning the skills they need to manage money effectively later in life," says Billy Dickinson, BS '16, now a junior analyst at Crowley Webb. "We tried to encourage discussion and illustrate the importance of good financial literacy." The third group worked with the Girl Scouts of West- ern New York to introduce MoneySKILL to troop lead- ers and program staff as a tool to augment the organization's current financial literacy programming. "The Girl Scout Cookie program is the largest girl-led business in the world," says Jerilyn Hickey, EMBA '07, chief devel- opment officer for Girl Scouts of Western New York. "The program helps girls devel- op five skills they will use throughout their lives: goal-setting, decision-making, mon- ey management, people skills and business ethics. MoneySKILL shares many of these objectives, so it's a great fit for us." Through the projects, the School of Management honors students gained valu- able communication, presentation and leadership skills, gave back to the commu- nity and spread awareness about financial literacy. "This project helped me with my consulting skills," says Mahwish Khan, BS '16, now a human cap- ital management analyst at Goldman Sachs. "It re- quired me to think strategi- cally and communicate ef- fectively with our clients." "MoneySKILL breaks down concepts that might seem advanced for children, like income or retirement, in a way that's understandable," says Matthew Ricotta, BS '16, who joined Mor- gan Stanley's Internal Audit division this summer. "This experience taught me that based on how you market in- formation, you can make it applicable to almost anyone. Financial literacy is important for everyone, and it's never too early to learn." x — Matthew Biddle After two years of leadership development, self-reflection and en- richment opportunities, the first cohort of School of Management undergraduate honors students have graduated and are ready to advance their careers. Only the top 5 percent of business administration and accounting majors qualify to participate in the honors program. These high-achieving students strengthen their leadership skills through an individualized development plan, specialized courses and opportunities to complement and enhance what they learn during their degree program by conducting research with faculty, studying abroad, taking graduate-level classes and completing an internship or supplemental coursework. "Through various self-assessments, we identified our strengths, work styles and areas of improvement," says Mahwish Khan, BS '16. "I also learned the importance of my personal brand, to be receptive to feedback and that change is imperative in life." "The program is personalized, reflective and introspective," says Ian Scaduto, BS '16. "I've gone outside my comfort zone and am pleased with the results." x Inaugural honors cohort graduates MoneySKILL ® by the numbers Honors students received recognition medals from faculty and staff on the last day of class. 20,000 regional students have participated since 2006. 176 regional teachers registered to use MoneySkILL this year. 675,000 students nationwide have registered to use the program since it was developed in 2004 by Lewis Mandell, professor emeritus of finance, for the American Financial Services Association Education Foundation. 10 years of partnership between the School of Management and M&t Bank to bring MoneySkILL to local youth through outreach and teacher training.

• Cover