Teamwork, Vision Play Critical in Creation of Financial Literacy Program

Carlos Aguinaga and WOS alum David Vergara’s vision, perseverance and dedication to community stewardship helped create an after-school financial literacy program for Latino youth in Newark, N.J.

Aguinaga, a senior analyst for marketing research in Mutual Funds, and Vergara, a systems analysis and development associate in Enterprise Services and Financial Systems, volunteered to represent their business resource group, the Hispanic Heritage Network, in Prudential’s Community Stewardship Initiative. They knew the project would take a great deal of passion and energy. Their goal: To successful compete for a grant for a community project they would lead.

To ensure they were prepared, Aguinaga and Vergara participated in a series of training programs sponsored by Community Resources to hone their strategy development, project management and presentation skills.

They delivered a 15-minute presentation to a panel of judges, outlining their vision for the program, its goals, and how they’d address any risks or obstacles that could stand in the way of success.

Based on their persuasive presentation, the proposal was approved, and the team received a $5,000 donation from Prudential for the project. Their effort was conducted with Junior Achievement and ASPIRA, a non-profit organization targeting Latino youth. Aguinaga and Vergara led a team of 20-25 volunteers, helping the directors of ASPIRA to deliver the three-hour financial literacy session.

“Carlos and David showed tremendous leadership and vision in planning and coordinating this project,” says Carlos Aurellano, a director in Community Resources. “Their after-school program enhanced Prudential’s broader reputation for community stewardship, and more importantly, provided the young people who participated with important financial knowledge they will use for a lifetime.”

This article originally appeared in Prudential’s internal newsletter. It is being republished here with permission from Prudential.