Campus Life

Sokolov-Miller Family Center launches financial literacy mentoring program

Aspiring mentors and mentees both invited to apply

Credit: Steve Tressler / Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Alumni and other members of the Penn State community now have the opportunity to contribute to the financial well-being of students through a new mentoring program from the Sokolov-Miller Family Financial and Life Skills Center.

At the other end of the mentoring relationship, students will have the chance to interact online one-on-one with alumni willing to share their real-world experience when it comes to managing finances.

Applications are now open to both potential mentors and mentees. Mentors can be Penn State alumni, faculty, administrators and friends of the University. Mentor information and applications can be found here.

Students interested in becoming proteges and learning from a mentor can find more information and apply here. Students and mentors will decide in each case how long they would like the mentor-mentee relationship to last.

Mentors and mentees will work together to discuss aspects of financial literacy and develop strategies in order to help students to eventually become financially secure. Meetings will happen online. The matching between mentors and mentees will depend upon background and answers to application questions.

Daad Rizk, director of the Sokolov-Miller Family Financial and Life Skills Center, said the program will allow students to learn about budgeting, loans and repayment, debt management, and other topics from a mentor.

“With such a large number of alumni, and the great variety of backgrounds and talents, we think this program has the potential to help students with financial planning when they need it the most: early on in their adult lives,” Rizk said. “We’ve already seen an immediate response from alumni and University leaders who want to help students achieve financial freedom.”

The program was developed through the center with the help of the Penn State Alumni Association. Rizk also praised Penn State's Tom Sharbaugh for his help in launching the program. Sharbaugh is director of the Penn State Law Entrepreneur Assistance Clinic and professor of practice, among other roles at Penn State and in the community.

Penn State’s Sokolov-Miller Family Financial and Life Skills Center offers services to the entire Penn State community and is part of Penn State Undergraduate Education, the academic administrative unit that provides leadership and coordination for University-wide programs and initiatives in support of undergraduate teaching and learning at Penn State. Learn more about Undergraduate Education at undergrad.psu.edu.

Last Updated October 4, 2019