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Rep. Napolitano Tours New Union Bank Student-Run Branch at Mountain View High School

April 8, 2016

(El Monte, CA) On Wednesday, April 6, 2016, Rep. Grace F. Napolitano toured the newly opened student-run branch of Union Bank at Mountain View High School in El Monte.

"We are so proud Mountain View is leading the way as our first high school in the San Gabriel Valley with a student-run branch on campus," Napolitano said. "This not only teaches our students to make good financial decisions, it provides real-world experience in a professional setting, building important skills for work and customer service. It is also very inspiring to see our youth helping their peers, which offers them valuable mentoring opportunities while boosting financial literacy at a critical age. We are so grateful to Union Bank for partnering on this innovative program to help students develop tools for life-long success."

Located inside the Mountain View High School campus, the student-run branch is staffed by 10 student bankers who acquire skills in finance, as well as teamwork, leadership and the hands-on experience of working in a bank overseen by a seasoned Union Bank branch manager. The student bankers offer financial education workshops and classroom presentations to their peers as part of their learning curriculum, in an effort to expand the learning experience to other students at the school.

"As a student banker at my high school I have learned the importance of being a professional and gained financial literacy skills," said Giselle Barbosa, student banker, Union Bank Mountain View High School Branch. "I have learned that opening a savings account is the first step in showing financial responsibility. This may not seem like much but saving money will be useful in the future to help pay for college expenses."

"It was an honor to welcome Congresswoman Napolitano to our Mountain View branch and to give her a close look at how the student-run branch program works," said Mountain View Branch Manager Anthony Barrios. "The students were excited to discuss what they're learning and also had engaging questions for the Congresswoman, who saw first-hand that these future leaders are building life skills that will benefit them long after graduation."

On March 16, Union Bank and the El Monte Union High School District (EMUHSD) celebrated the grand opening of the Mountain View High School branch, marking the bank's fifth student-run branch in California. The branch is open during the school year Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. It offers traditional banking products and services, such as checking and savings accounts, and ATM and debit cards, for students, faculty, and administrators.

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