Honing Financial Skills for the Future

 Alexander Banbury is a sophomore at Bowdoin College. Alex is from Mercer Island, Washington, where he was involved in his city’s volunteer emergency service organization as an Amateur Radio Operator.  He played oboe in numerous bands and orchestras around his home town.

Alex says, “I learned about CA$H during a volunteer fair at Bowdoin College. I have an interest in personal finance, so I thought that learning how to do taxes would be a great way for me to give back to the community.  I could also hone important financial skills that I will need in the coming years.”

“At first, I thought that it would be quite difficult to learn how all the tax laws work,” Alex remembers. “After attending a number of CA$H training sessions as well as studying on my own, I felt like I had the tools I need to start volunteering. I jumped in as soon as I could after getting my certification and quickly saw the great impact I was having on the community.”

At Bowdoin, Alex is leaning towards a double major in Government and Economics. His volunteer work with CA$H helps him grow in his field as well as in community service. This summer he completed an internship at a company in Seattle. Alex says, “Many of the skills that I learned through CA$H truly came in handy during the internship and helped make it a success.”

Breaking the tax preparation stigma

Alex encourages anyone with an interest to volunteer. “There is a stigma with taxes that they are nearly impossible to understand and that only professionals can do them correctly. From my experience, that is not the case. You do not need to be a mathematician or an accountant to be a part of CA$H. There is a lot of support within the organization to help anyone interested in volunteering.”

Alex is also involved in outreach with Midcoast CA$H. As the CA$H Club representative, he helps recruit and organize other student volunteers.  He recently represented Midcoast CA$H at the Bowdoin College volunteer fair (photo below).

To learn more about volunteer roles or connect with CA$H Maine anywhere in the state, visit http://www.cashmaine.org/volunteer/

 For more information about volunteering for Midcoast CA$H, contact Ali at Goodwill at 207-289-7013 or ali.aldhamen@goodwillnne.org.