“Credit Basics for $100!” Personal Finance Jeopardy with Peer Leaders

Guest Author: Gabrielle Oliver, Manager of College Persistence

Introducing Personal Finance Concepts to College Students

“I’ll take Credit Basics for $100!”

Student Leadership Network alumni Almasur and Ryan, who serve as Peer Leaders in our CollegeJourney program, hosted an interactive community engagement event to share personal finance tips with fellow alumni. Drawing on their own challenges handling money as college students with part-time jobs, they created a workshop to support other students who want to learn about building credit, budgeting strategies, and smart financial aid management. The conversations around balancing school with work and avoiding scams resonated deeply with the students.

A group of students sits in a classroom, listening to two presenters standing by a screen displaying a slides about personal finance for students — *Peer Leaders share their research on the best credit cards for college students.*

Ryan, who graduated from Union Square Academy and is beginning medical studies at the CUNY School of Medicine/Sophie Davis Biomedical Education this fall, reflected on his role as a Peer Leader. “As a first-generation college student, I wish I had joined this program sooner. It’s been rewarding to be here as a Peer Leader, connecting and forming relationships with the students as they transition to college.”

Test Your Knowledge with Personal Finance Jeopardy!

A blue Jeopardy-style game board with five categories: Savings & Budgeting, Credit Basics, CUNY Fun Facts, Movies & TV Shows, and Random, each with points from 100 to 500. — *Click on the above image to play Personal Finance Jeopardy!, designed by Peer Leaders Almasur and Ryan!*

Almasur and Ryan then challenged the participants to a Jeopardy!-style game to test their knowledge about personal finance and CUNY resources. The competition was fierce and fun! One participant shared, “I learned about how to avoid scholarship scams,” and another commented on the relatability of the Peer Leaders: “I like that the presenters shared their own experiences.”

A group of students sit facing a screen displaying a budgeting question, some raising their hands to ask FAQs, while two presenters—CBI Alumni—lead the session at the front of the room. — *Peer Leaders test students’ knowledge with a Personal Finance Jeopardy game*

Almasur, a Bronx Latin School alumnus and rising junior at CUNY City College, added, “As a first-gen student myself, I get to help other first-gen students who don’t have a sibling or parent who have gone to college. One of my favorite parts of being a Peer Leader is hosting events. You can learn something new, meet new friends, and also win prizes. We give away a lot of gift cards, so you should come join our programs!”

We are proud of our Peer Leaders for sharing their best practices and making complex information relatable to their fellow college students!

Get Involved

Interested in joining our CollegeJourney programs for support and guidance in college? Student Leadership Network alumni can contact Gabrielle Oliver at [email protected] to enroll.