Union Bank^®, in partnership with the Anaheim Union High School District (AUHSD), today announced the grand opening of the bank’s first student-run branch in the city of Anaheim at Loara High School located at 1765 W. Cerritos Avenue.  This is also the fourth Union Bank student-run bank branch in California.

The branch is part of an innovative program designed to provide students with real-world financial education, work experience, and mentoring opportunities.  Located inside the Loara High School campus, the student-run branch will be staffed by student bankers, who will 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.  

Traditional banking products and services will be available to students, school staff, school administrators, and teachers.  As part of their learning curriculum, the student bankers will offer financial education workshops and classroom presentations to their peers in an effort to expand the learning experience to other students at the school.

“We are pleased to partner with Union Bank on this financial education initiative that will provide real-world experience to our students and help them become career-ready when they graduate,” said Loara High School Principal, John Briquelet.  “The experience will allow them to pursue a more well-rounded education as they continue their individual learning journeys after Loara High School.”

The students also attend classroom sessions led by Loara High School instructor German Mendoza.  In addition to building skills in finance, leadership, management and marketing, the students receive a $500 stipend for working in the branch and a $1,000 scholarship for college when the course is completed.

Union Bank Student-Run Branches
Union Bank opened its first student-run branch in 2011 in Fresno, California at McLane High School.  As a result of the success achieved through that program, in 2014 the bank introduced the concept to two high schools in the Greater Los Angeles area, Abraham Lincoln High School in Lincoln Heights and Crenshaw High School in the South Los Angeles area.  To date, more than 100 student bankers have graduated from the program at the three schools in Fresno and Los Angeles.

“As a responsible bank firmly committed to our local communities, Union Bank is excited to impart valuable financial management skills and mentoring to today’s youth,” said Union Bank Managing Director and Regional President Robbin Narike Preciado.  “We know that educating the youth on the importance of being financially responsible and teamwork are critical to their future success as well as sustaining strong communities for the future.”

About the Loara Branch Team
Union Bank Branch Manager and Vice President Lydia Mendoza-Carmona manages the Loara branch. Mendoza-Carmona has served with Union Bank for more than 32 years.  Active in the community, she participates in Operation Safehouse-Riverside, a community organization that provides outreach and assistance to youth in crisis.  Additionally, Mendoza-Carmona recently served as Board of Directors Treasurer for the Inland Empire Hispanic Leadership Council (IEHLC), where she received the IEHLC’s Champion Award for 2014.

“I am thrilled to be managing the student-run branch at Loara High School,” said Mendoza-Carmona.  “Our student bankers will not only gain valuable money management skills, but the program will also enable them to develop leadership skills critical to their overall success in their careers and in life.”

She is joined by 12 student bankers and Branch Service Officer Carolina Gomez. Gomez has been with Union Bank since 2011 and has 13 years of banking experience.

The branch is open during the school year Monday and Wednesday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.  The branch offers traditional banking products and services, such as checking and savings accounts, and ATM and debit cards, for students, faculty, and administrators.

About Anaheim Union High School District
The Anaheim Union High School District serves 31,000 students in the communities of Anaheim, Cypress, Buena Park, La Palma, and Stanton.  We are fully committed to meeting the educational challenges of the 21st Century and graduating students who are college and career ready.  Our award-winning campuses provide a positive educational climate that encourages academic excellence for all students, with programs serving college-bound, career technical, special needs, gifted, alternative, and limited English proficient students. 

About MUFG Union Bank, N.A.
MUFG Union Bank, N.A., is a full-service bank with offices across the United States.  We provide a wide spectrum of corporate, commercial and retail banking and wealth management solutions to meet the needs of customers.  The bank also offers an extensive portfolio of value-added solutions for customers, including access to investment banking, personal and corporate trust, capital markets, global custody, transaction banking and other services.  With assets of $114.3 billion as of September 30, 2015, MUFG Union Bank has strong capital reserves, credit ratings and capital ratios relative to peer banks.[1]  MUFG Union Bank is a proud member of the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (NYSE: MTU), one of the world’s largest financial organizations with total assets of approximately ¥289.2 trillion (JPY) or $2.4 trillion (USD)[2], as of September 30, 2015.  MUFG Americas Holdings Corporation, the financial holding company and MUFG Union Bank, N.A., have corporate headquarters in New York City. 

MUFG Union Bank, N.A.

MUFG Union Bank, N.A.

MUFG Union Bank, N.A., is a full-service bank with offices across the United States. We provide a wide spectrum of corporate, commercial and retail banking and wealth management solutions to meet the needs of customers. We also offer an extensive portfolio of value-added solutions for customers, including investment banking, personal and corporate trust, global custody, transaction banking, capital markets, and other services. MUFG Union Bank is a proud member of the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, one of the world’s largest financial organizations. The corporate headquarters (principal executive office) for MUFG Americas Holdings Corporation, which is the financial holding company and MUFG Union Bank, is in New York City. The main banking office of MUFG Union Bank is in San Francisco, California.

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