The early morning buzz at Circle High School in Towanda, Kan., often includes students and teachers conducting banking transactions at the Citizens Bank of Kansas branch at CHS.
August marks the one-year anniversary of the branch — the second high school branch for the Wichita-based bank. Four student-interns staff the branch. With the help of a faculty education manager, the interns prepare and teach financial literacy classes to other high school and middle school students.
“We are working to teach our peers and younger people about banking and finances,” said Chloe Foster, a second-year intern at the branch. This summer, Foster works as a part-time teller at the CBK El Dorado, Kan., branch and trains new interns. “I love making relationships at CBK — it’s helping me figure out what I want to be,” Foster said.
Shawn Lehecka, the CBK/CHS education manager, teaches banking and financial management among other business classes at the high school. “Shawn has done a great job adjusting to running the branch, teaching classes, and coaching basketball and tennis,” said Shannon Beal, CBK community branch president in El Dorado.
Lehecka sees serving as an education manager as an extension of his teaching role, as well as an opportunity to learn from his students. He noted the CBK/CHS branch adapted to changes during the first year of operation. The bank increased its branch hours to include the period when students have free time available, after students asked for expanded branch hours.
“This has been a great opportunity for our students to learn outside of the classroom,” Lehecka added.
