Shea Daniels knows what it’s like to have bad credit. More
importantly, she knows the steps it takes to get out of debt,
has restored her credit rating and can now realistically consider
buying her own home.
Daniels is sharing this knowledge with fellow Dooly County residents
as well as those who live in nearby Macon County through the
Consumer Financial Literacy Program, a project funded by the
Governor’s Office of Consumer Affairs and several other
partners in 28 counties.
When she realized she needed something besides an $8.16 per hour
job deboning chicken in a poultry plant, Daniels found a way
to attend Middle Georgia Technical College using HOPE scholarships
and grants, and she earned a certificate in computer networking
and accounting. About 1-1/2 years into the program, Daniels became
certified to prepare taxes and establish individual retirement
accounts for H&R Block. As she was completing the program
at Middle Georgia, Daniels heard about a job opening as a program
assistant with the Dooly County Extension Office. She began work
in September 2003.
Since beginning her job, Daniels has learned a lot about finances
and she’s busy sharing that information with others like
Mae Gussie Jones, who says Daniels “helped me out aplenty!”
Jones, who is 69 and lives alone in a brightly painted pink and
blue house in the nearby community of Pinehurst, was taken advantage
of while hospitalized. “Them people got ahold of my account
and was writing checks,” she explains. “[Daniels]
came by and talked with me and showed me how the ropes go.”
Daniels worked to have a new checking account opened for Jones.
She also explained to Jones that since she had a checking account
it wasn’t necessary to buy money orders for $2 each to
pay her bills, a practice that had cost her about $20 a month
out of her meager income.
In addition to working with adults, Daniels also works closely
with youth programs in Dooly and Macon counties to ensure that
young people know how to avoid the pitfalls of bad credit.
“For young people, it’s credit cards and cell phones
that cause them credit problems,” Daniels says. “We
went over how advertisers try to encourage you to buy things,” she
says of her work with the Dooly County Community Enrichment Coalition. “We
discussed needs vs. wants and what we’ve learned from our
parents regarding saving and spending.”
As she continues educating her neighbors about financial literacy,
Daniels also continues to set an example with her own life by
buying a home and completing her education.
“No matter what I do, I’m going to continue my education,” she
says. “I want to get a four-year degree in counseling of
some sort, I don’t know whether it will be financial counseling
or in the social services area, but I want to continue helping
people.”
Competing
in a Global Economy
The University of Georgia is at the forefront of the globalization
movement in higher education with a wealth of opportunities for
international experiences. Our students are flocking to study-abroad
programs, thriving on the challenges inherent in confronting a
new cultural environment. More and more, students on campus are
also making choices that reflect an understanding of the importance
of global awareness—from living in a residence hall-based
language community to starting a radio program in another language
to minoring in a foreign language. These experiences, whether at
home or abroad, influence how our students perceive the world and
their place in it. We’re producing graduates prepared to
be world citizens—well informed, culturally sensitive and
technologically sophisticated. They’re ready to take on the
challenges of our global society, and they’ll be equally
at home whether in the Peach State or the Republic of Georgia. |
