Austin Gleason Becomes a Making Cent$ Peer Mentor

Austin Gleason, of Elmira, NY, became a Making Cent$ Peer Mentor during the Fall 2023 semester. Gleason is studying Psychology at SUNY Oneonta.

Making Cent$ Peer Mentors are students who have initially started as Making Cent$ Interns. During their time as interns, they train with Making Cent$ staff members to learn information that will help them improve their proficiency in financial literacy and help the students around them with financial topics. As interns, these students help complete tasks to keep the Making Cent$ Program running. They also act as a connection to the student community and provide a lot of outreach to their peers. After around a year of training, Making Cent$ Interns take the Making Cent$ Intern Financial Wellness Exam, designed to demonstrate the knowledge they have acquired through their training. After passing this exam and demonstrating their abilities to host different Making Cent$ activities, a Making Cent$ Intern earns the title "Making Cent$ Peer Mentor."

After becoming a Making Cent$ Peer Mentor, they will host one-on-one meetings with other students. These meetings are on student loans and helping students create or improve their budgets. They also often become the primary host of activities like Money Personalities. They continue outreach to other students and have a high level of mentorship with newly hired Making Cent$ Interns.

Before starting her Making Cent$ Internship, Gleason completed most aspects of the Making InCENTive$ path toward her Personal Finance Achievement award. She then looked for opportunities to volunteer with the program and continued to attend Making Cent$ Activities. Gleason started her Making Cent$ Internship in August of 2022 and has excelled throughout her entire internship. Daily, she demonstrates a dedication to helping her peers with financial literacy and other aspects of their daily lives.