Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Wvuafm tuscaloosa.
[00:00:09] Speaker B: Happy Sunday, y'. All. You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7, the capstone. And we're out of January.
[00:00:16] Speaker C: Hey, we made it through all 87 days.
[00:00:18] Speaker B: I mean, we really did. It felt. It felt like six months. It was.
I don't know, you know, I'm like, was it just the weather? Was it this?
Was it that? But then I think about our friends that reside in Oxford or Nashville. I don't know if you've seen, you know, all of that ice and every. I'm just like, bless America, man.
[00:00:37] Speaker C: Yeah, yeah.
But we're in February now, so hopefully the temperature will just keep rising.
[00:00:44] Speaker B: Yes, absolutely.
[00:00:45] Speaker C: Days will get longer. Yes, More sunshine. Yes, hopefully.
[00:00:49] Speaker B: Hopefully. I know. Well, you know, it's a short science.
[00:00:52] Speaker C: I think science tells us maybe, but I mean, I don't know.
[00:00:54] Speaker B: It's a shorter month, so. So that is really help, you know, and then you start thinking about all of the spring holidays and then the candy that is involved with the spring holidays, you know. And Nika, you may be navigating this. I don't know if your girls at the grade and age they're at, do they still do any kind of valentine exchanges for the grades that your girls are in?
[00:01:19] Speaker C: My youngest one does. She's in third grade, so they still do it.
My oldest one is in sixth grade. She'll probably do it between her friends. Yeah, yeah. She'll want to get them a little something fun. I know.
[00:01:30] Speaker B: I keep going. So I oscillate back and forth between the years where I just kind of mail it in with like the pre made stuff, like, here we go. It's like, oh, these M&Ms. Like, there's already a space for my kid to sign his name, like one and done. But then sometimes I'm feeling cutesy. I'm like, we'll see. But I actually so my plan right now. And I'll say right now just in case I pivot. And then my kids happen to listen to the show and they think I'm a liar.
I found these little toy cell phones.
I think they're. Do you remember those little, like, water games that we would have when we were a kid where you press the buttons and then it makes the little ring go into a thing? So it's like these little cell phones and they're super cheap. And I mean, that's besides the point. But that is actually important to know because, well, I'm not gonna spend a lot of Money. But I think the tag on there that I'm gonna put is blessed to call you a friend. And it'll have a little cell phone and then I'll have my kids names on it.
[00:02:29] Speaker C: That's super cute. And it's something that they can play with and it's a non candy item.
So you know, if you've got a kid with an allergy or something that they can have, they can play.
[00:02:37] Speaker B: Cause I'm pro candy. But I also am very aware of some allergies that are happening. So I'm trying, I'm trying to, you know.
[00:02:45] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:02:45] Speaker B: I don't know. But yeah. And then also too, I started thinking about my own valentine experiences in elementary school. And you probably had a similar experience, Nico, where we would like decorate our boxes and all of the things.
[00:03:00] Speaker C: I don't know.
[00:03:00] Speaker B: I think I feel like I have mixed repressed and selective memories from that. Depending on how old I was. And if I had crushes at the time, did they even know I had a crush on them? Did they give me a special valentine? Did they look at me? I don't know.
[00:03:14] Speaker C: Yeah, I know I would always wake up in the morning, my mom would have me, you know, like a Russell Stover or like a Whitman's or something, you know, and I. To carry on that tradition with my kids. I saw I get them a little. A little heart shaped candy. Yeah. Chocolate box each.
[00:03:32] Speaker B: I can't remember. I think I have shared this on the show before. It's been a few years now, but it was my freshman year of high school. I remember getting this beautiful dozen roses, like delivered at school. You know, everybody was getting flowers delivered to school and it said, from your secret admirer. And so like I was like, oh my gosh, like, could it be so and so I think, I think I speculated that it was this boy named Patrick Dunn.
So Patrick, if you're listening, I thought it was you, but I remember telling my mom about it when she picked me up and she's like, who do you think it is?
It was not until after I married my husband that my mother told me that she was the one that sent me those flowers because she felt bad for me.
[00:04:15] Speaker C: She kept that a secret all those years.
[00:04:18] Speaker B: Yeah. She had to wait until I was married and secure with myself to tell me that.
[00:04:23] Speaker C: Well, listeners, if you're out there listening and contemplating, should you do it, would you. When would you have wanted her to let the cat out of the back?
[00:04:33] Speaker B: I don't know. I mean, because I think it depends on if I had done something silly like actually approached the person that I thought could have sent them, you know, and then that would have just dug me in a hole. But, you know, I was still too timid to do anything about it. So I got to just, like, you know, live these, like, fantasies of, you know, oh, they're from Patrick, you know, listening to my Boyz II Men and, you know, and this life that we were going to have together that he had no idea about.
[00:05:04] Speaker C: No idea. And your mom's just sitting there the whole time.
[00:05:06] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:05:07] Speaker C: Keeping it a secret for lots of years. Yeah.
[00:05:10] Speaker B: She's like, I'm just doing it for her emotional and mental health. But I. I mean, I'm. I'm okay with it now, so I can laugh about it. The fact that I am cathartically and therapeutically telling you about it on here actually says a lot. But we're not talking about that today, you guys. Thankfully, this is not the theme of today's show.
Per usual, we have a fabulous guest. Today is no except at all to that. You know, we've been really lucky this semester and really just this academic year with having the guests that we've had on, you know, we've had a couple of hiccups with recording with all these weather days, but. But now we're back on it. But, you guys, we have to take a quick break. You are listening to fit to be tied with Sheena and Neeka on 90.7 the capstone.
[00:06:00] Speaker A: Wvuafm tuscaloos.
[00:06:10] Speaker C: Happy Sunday, listeners. You are listening to fit to be tied with Sheena and Neeka on 90.7 the Capstone.
[00:06:15] Speaker B: That's right. And today we are not talking about Valentine's day or past relationships. That gives you a preview of what you thankfully missed in our opening segment. But today we are actually talking about financial wellness. Neeka.
[00:06:33] Speaker C: Yeah, so that doesn't make my heart go thump thump in the way that I want it to.
[00:06:38] Speaker B: No.
[00:06:38] Speaker C: I bet it is like that for a lot of listeners out there. But a lot of listeners are like, oh, financial wellness. Like, I need to do better in this area. So today is the day for you.
[00:06:47] Speaker B: Yes. And the good thing is I literally cannot think of a better person to join us on this topic and to really just be able to ease any kind of stress about it because we're going to make this great and digestible. And so without further ado, we have Mr. Brendan Rossman, who is a health promotion specialist in the department of health promotion and wellness. Brendon, thanks for being on the show today.
[00:07:10] Speaker D: Thank you so much for having me. I'm so, so excited to be here.
[00:07:13] Speaker B: Absolutely. Well, you know, for our longtime listeners, you may recall hearing Brendan on this show when he first started with us a little over a year ago with one of our other team members. But, you know, we have Brendan back to share his wisdom. And so, Brendon, for our listeners who haven't gotten to enjoy you before, can you share a little bit about your professional and academic background prior to being here at the Capstone?
[00:07:39] Speaker D: Yeah, for sure.
I am originally from Ohio. I went to Ohio State for undergrad and grad school. My bachelor's degree is in human development, family science with minors in education and human nutrition. And then I received a MPH from Ohio State specializing in epidemiology.
And when I was trying to find a job, I worked at a restaurant in Columbus for a while in grad school as well. I was a graduate assistant for the food pantry on OSU's campus and finally found a job here at University of Alabama. I'm very, very thankful and blessed to be here, to be here for over a year now and just keep getting experience and helping out the UA community.
[00:08:28] Speaker C: I love it.
So I know the last time we had you on here, you were talking about how your focus, you know, there's so many different areas of focus that a health education specialist can go into. But yours, you like the food pantries, the food security, but you also like financial wellness. How did you get, you know, intrigued by that area?
[00:08:53] Speaker D: Yeah, I think when you think about like a food pantry and you think about people maybe who are food insecure, oftentimes at they are maybe struggling with finances or their personal financial wellness. So when I was transitioning here, I know Sheena talked to me and Charlotte talked to me and they thought that financial wellness would be a good area for me to learn and work in and pursue this career in because of my passion area for helping people who are food insecure and food pantries. So it was a great transition. I definitely had to learn a lot just in terms of how college students want to learn about financial wellness, the topics they want to learn about, and what areas they actually want to sit down and actually listen.
But it's been good. It's been good. And that's kind of like the bridge between those two topic areas.
[00:09:48] Speaker C: So just so our listeners know, it's not like you're like, I think I was going to major in finance one day and then decided to pivot. It's kind of, you know, this leads to that and this connects the dots. So it kind of goes to show what we talk about is wellness is holistic, it's whole person.
[00:10:05] Speaker B: It really is. And you know, I think that for listeners that are thinking, okay, you guys talk about being in the department of health promotional wellness, you guys are mentioning financial wellness, financial literacy. I think sometimes, yeah, that's not a natural connection that people think about when they're thinking about the health topic areas for a health promotion office, especially in a higher ed setting. And you know, Brendon, I know that you have had some time under your belt where you have provided these financial wellness, financial literacy programs for different students.
What has been eye opening to you in that experience as you've presented to different populations on campus?
[00:10:46] Speaker D: Yeah, I think just how much the students maybe don't know, which isn't me trying to sound bad towards the students. But a lot of times it's very eye opening when I go into classrooms to do workshops or presentations or hold events or do a tabling.
A lot of times it's just a student being like, I didn't know that. You know, that's super great information. I'm very, very thankful. It also makes me think how much more programming can I do, how much more reach can I do, how many more students can I see face to face or online?
So it definitely is very eye opening just in terms of I think how much work I still need to do on this campus but also trying to have self reflection as well in terms of my interactions with the students and maybe how much I have potentially helped them learn new information.
[00:11:45] Speaker C: I think it's interesting when you said you're not trying to be condescending towards the students but that also makes you think, well, when are they going to learn it?
Not everybody on campus is a business major.
I never took a class in either one of my, you know, undergrad or graduate that had anything to do with money.
[00:12:05] Speaker B: Right.
[00:12:06] Speaker C: You know, if my parents didn't teach me or if I didn't go seek out what that knowledge. But you don't know what you don't know.
So I think the work you're doing is important because at what point would they be learning it if not here? Right?
[00:12:19] Speaker B: I know because you almost think about like, okay, do we need some kind of exit course for seniors where it's like, hey, just a reminder, you're about to be this full fledged adult that is on your own.
You know, here are these basic things that we need to make sure, like these life skills that you have. And so I think it's great that we have encompassed more of that programming. I know throughout the program today, Brendan's going to be talking about the different initiatives that are there. But, Nika, I do just want to ask you briefly, just given the hat that you've worn as an advisor here at the capstone, and have you often been privy to students financial situations whenever, you know, they're disclosing, you know, just problems of life, you know, as you're helping them navigate just typical advisor things, Right?
[00:13:11] Speaker C: Yeah. So as an advisor, you know, I don't. Well, when I was in that role full time, I. You know, I don't see anything financial.
That's a totally different office, but they would share with me.
You know, my family makes $200 over the limit for me to get FAFSA, you know, but we don't have anything to show for it. Like, we're not.
We don't have this extra money to pay for my education. But the government guidelines say I don't get enough to get this kind of grant or help or reward.
And then they were really worried a lot about getting out in four years because they're like, I have just enough money to be here for eight semesters or I can't take that summer class because it's not factored into my scholarship, and that's extra money. And then you would see the dominoes start to fall.
[00:14:07] Speaker B: Right.
[00:14:08] Speaker C: So when we talk about financial wellness being part of our health, I mean, it would.
It would panic. You know, they would be panicked, they would be upset.
Some would be almost hysterical. And I understand. I mean, I totally get it. It's, you know, if you can't pay for college, and then how are you supposed to pay for your rent? And then how are you supposed to pay for your food? And, you know, and so I saw a lot of that.
[00:14:38] Speaker B: Yeah. Yeah, I wondered about that. And you're right. You know, I think that even for students that are coming in on scholarships, even if it's not a full ride, then when the reality is people come onto campus for orientation and you're like, oh, I totally forgot about this, this and this. That was actually our family situation. I had a leadership scholarship that was gonna pay for tuition, but then it wasn't necessarily gonna be paying for my residence hall, things of that nature.
[00:15:05] Speaker C: And then I remember on my toothbrush or toothpaste.
[00:15:08] Speaker B: Exactly. My parents were like, oh, Mylanta. Well, I'm sure they said it in Filipino, but, you know, it's like, wait a second. Like, what is this gonna look like so the fact that we have these programs so grateful for that and the way that it correlates with our other dimensions of wellness. But Brendan, a break. I do want to ask, what do you enjoy the most about working at the Capstone, especially as someone who is a Buckeye by blood. You know.
[00:15:35] Speaker D: I think the being able to go to the football games are really, really great. I had season tickets this past season, so that was wonderful. But in terms of working, I think the opportunities here are endless.
As a staff, as a student, there's so many people here with so many different interests and backgrounds and personalities and information that they're willing to share. So it's truly been a blessing to be here with so many like minded people. But, but then also different minded people because different perspectives are a way that helps you grow as a person and a professional. So right now in my career I couldn't imagine being anywhere else other than UA&T town. So I'm very thankful. And just looking back at my experience this past year and a half has been, has been really cool to do.
[00:16:30] Speaker B: Well, I'm just gonna say roll tide to that.
[00:16:32] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:16:32] Speaker B: But you guys, we have to take a quick break, grab something to drink, get hydrated, run to the restroom, do what you gotta do. You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7 the cap.
[00:16:48] Speaker A: Wvuafm Tuscaloosa.
[00:16:58] Speaker C: Welcome back, listeners. You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Neeka on 90.7 the capstone.
[00:17:03] Speaker B: That's right. And today we have been talking to Mr. Brendan Rossman who is a health promotion specialist in the department of health promotional wellness who covers the area of financial wellness. And Brendon, I know that we talked a little bit about this earlier on just with your role here at the capstone, but aside from financial wellness, tell us a little bit more about what you do in the department as a whole.
[00:17:27] Speaker D: Yeah, so I am an advisor for project Health. One of my health hut students is sitting right beside me right now.
But I'm very fortunate to be an advisor and help out those students as a table around campus as they produce outreach education for students here at ua. And then another one of my topic areas is general wellness. And that's really up to me in terms of what I do outside of a general wellness presentation.
So I've been trying to do new events on campus. So in the fall I held a flu blast clinic with the college of nursing and the student health center and it had the most flu shots given Ever at one of those events, it was close to 500. So that was super amazing.
[00:18:15] Speaker C: Snaps.
[00:18:16] Speaker D: And then this semester I've started new events here. Series called Tech Free Thursdays. Once a month, January through April, students can go to a space in the student center and do some sort of activity that doesn't involve your laptop cell phone technology. So read a book, play a game, do a coloring page, do a word search. We got snacks there. And each different Tech Free Thursday has its own creative activity. So last week it was making a bookmark. Next time it's going to be creating a bracelet. Then we have canvases where students can do watercolors. And then at some point they're gonna be able to make their own button. So draw on it, do the whole process.
So that's really awesome as well. But a lot of different hats in the department of hpw but a lot of good experience with that as well.
[00:19:09] Speaker B: Well, I have to acknowledge if our listeners have never looked at the health promotion wellness website, Brendan is holding us strong as the sole male in the department. We've got, we're a female predomina, have been for a while. And so when Brendan came on board, we were very excited to have to have Brendan, you know, just kind of change things up for us. And so, so I'm really grateful for that. But going back to, you know, our conversation about financial wellness, you know, Brendon, you alluded to this in the earlier segment about, you know, there's just a lot that students are unaware of when it comes to their finances.
What are some of the most practical financial goals or habits that you typically recommend in your in your standard financial wellness presentations? Like, what would you know if a student came to you overwhelmed or like, dude, I don't know where to start.
What would kind of be your elevator pitch to them?
[00:20:03] Speaker D: Yeah, the first thing I always say to them is just start thinking about it. Start being mindful in some way. I think a lot of students come in and maybe they're not even think about it when they go out on the weekends or when they're spending money on food during the week.
So the first thing is just trying to think about your finances when you and where your money is going.
The second thing is utilizing the resources here on campus. There's a lot of different resources for a lot of different things on campus and we have some really good financial ones that I will talk about later. But you can create a budget. You can learn about what it means to have a credit card and build a credit score. So just Taking some time, if you have a free time in between studying or classes or work, just to learn about a subject, learn about something new in terms of finances. And then the last thing is just trying to create a budget, some sort of flexible budget that works for you Monday through Friday and then Friday through Sunday, Because I know there's some fluctuation in terms of spending, especially for college students going out, game days, the quad, whatever it is. So try to create a budget. Try to limit yourself to that budget, and just try to be flexible and continue to look at your budget over the course of a semester.
[00:21:24] Speaker B: Yeah.
And, Nika, Brendan, you guys, correct me if I'm wrong, but I feel like sometimes when students think of the concept of a budget, they think of it as something that's punitive and not fun. And I feel like what we try to do on campus is articulate the fact that. That a budget is merely just having a game plan for your money and knowing where it's going.
[00:21:46] Speaker C: Right.
[00:21:47] Speaker B: Brendan, is that kind of how you.
I guess how you explain the benefits of a budget to students oftentimes, like when they have those misconceptions about it?
[00:21:56] Speaker D: Yeah. I always say it's kind of like a blueprint for where your money's going, and that helps you then create goals. So if you want to save money, if you want to have a certain amount of cash to.
For. For the weekends, if you want to have a hundred dollars for grocery shopping, it really helps you divvy it up and start being successful in that way.
[00:22:23] Speaker B: Nika, when you were in undergrad or grad school, how money aware or money savvy were you?
[00:22:30] Speaker C: I don't know if I was savvy. I was aware. I put myself through college, so I was second semester in when I had to go take out a loan and buy a car. So I was 18 and had a car payment and worked three jobs, put myself through college in undergrad. And so money was a huge stressor. I was always thinking about it. I was always worrying about it.
So I have a soft spot for the students who come to me going, I can't take a summer class. I'm like, like, got you, girl. I was right there with you, you know, So I don't think I was savvy because I didn't really know. I was just surviving.
[00:23:14] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:23:15] Speaker C: But I. You know, I will say, just from my own personal experience, before I was even interested in health and wellness, if you had asked me, what area of your life is dragging you down the most, I would have not Said, oh, classes, studying, social.
You know, I would have said money.
So I think a lot of students struggle financially, more so than we're aware, or maybe they're willing. Maybe it's a stigma or something where they don't want to admit to it. But, you know, there's a lot of food insecurity on a college campus. There's, you know, people that have to take a year off to work and save up money before they can come back and finish their studies. So I think the work you're doing is needed, and I'm glad that. I'm glad that. I wish. I wish I would have had it when I was here. And there might have been resources, but I didn't know because we didn't have the good old interwebs back in the day.
[00:24:13] Speaker B: Right, right. Well, I think, you know, that's actually a good segue into something I wanted to mention just as we've transitioned to more and more of a cashless society. And, you know, people are just used to kind of like, tapping their card or this or that. Sometimes we're not activ.
Daily looking at the amount that is in our account.
I think I've shared on air before that when I was in undergrad, I might have been in grad school. I was living in Tutwiler at the time. And I can't remember if it was as an RA or a hall director, but I remember going to the mall in town because I needed to pick up a little, like, costume jewelry for something, like a little, like, necklace or whatever. And it was like. Like, I don't know, like 9.99, whatever. And then when I got back to Tutweiler, like, I happened to look at my bank account on my desktop computer, and I noticed it was like negative 500. And I was like, oh, my Lanta. Like, I'm about to go out to eat with my friends. Like, what is this? And apparently the Claire's at the mall where I bought the costume jewelry, instead of ringing it up as 9.99, they rang it up as $9.
And so, you know, I called my bank and I was like, telling the lady, I was like, you and I both know there is nothing at Claire's that is worth thousand dollars.
I was like, so this. Clearly this is a mistake. Like, how can you know? And so she was telling me about how it could get fixed. And, you know, that that would be a clear, you know, way for, you know, that money to return to the account. But I needed to go to the store. But because it was a Friday.
It was probably not going to be corrected in my account until the following, you know, had I not just happened to look at my account at the time, because I don't think that at the, at that time in the early 2000s that my bank had like a. A good app.
[00:26:13] Speaker C: We didn't have a smartphone.
[00:26:14] Speaker B: Yeah. You know, you had to look at stuff like on your desktop. You know, I would have gone to the restaurant and then my card would have been rejected and, you know, there would have been that wholesale spin. So if anything else, like, look at your account every day. Do y' all look at your account every day? Brendan, do you look at your accounts daily or like, or some form of like, like, you know, pattern or normaly weekly?
[00:26:37] Speaker C: Well, I think just to make sure no fraud.
[00:26:41] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:26:41] Speaker C: You know, like not a charge. That's not that you need to dispute.
[00:26:46] Speaker B: Yeah, I know.
Anyway, sorry, I had to go on that tangent about that story because I'm like, y' all like.
[00:26:51] Speaker C: Yeah, I mean, human error, you know.
[00:26:53] Speaker B: You just never know.
[00:26:54] Speaker C: But that one human error could have really made a big mess.
[00:26:58] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, yeah. Yes, yes. I. Yeah. I have so many teachable moments that I could share, but I'm not going to because y'. All, we have to take a break, but when we get back, we want Brendan to go through all of the different things that he is providing right now. You know, we've talked about it very loosely, but we want to give specifics so that listeners know, what do we actually have available on campus on this topic? But guys, we're going to take a quick break, get hydrated, run to the restroom, do what you got to do. You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7 the Capstone Town.
[00:27:36] Speaker A: Wvua fm, tuscaloosa.
[00:27:46] Speaker C: Welcome back, listeners. You are listening to Fit to be tied with Sheena and Neeka on 90.7 the capstone. And we are joined today by our guest, Brandon Rosman, who is the one of the health promotion specialists here at the University of Alabama Department of Health Promotion and Wellness.
[00:28:02] Speaker B: That's right. And before the break, we were mentioning that we definitely wanted to use this segment to have Brendon share some of the different financial, wellness and financial literacy programs and resources that are available this semester. So, Brendan, tell us, what do you have to offer, sir?
[00:28:21] Speaker D: Oh, so much, so much.
First and foremost, I go in the classrooms and do presentations which you can request on our website.
And a great new thing that I'm bringing to campus is Financial February, which is a workshop series that I partnered with JPMorgan Chase and one of their vice presidents from Birmingham, who's a community manager, is going to come down every Tuesday from 4 to 5pm in the student center to teach the students here at UA about new fun financial topics that will help them as a college student and after school.
So that's really cool. I'm really excited. The first one is tomorrow, February 3rd, from 4 to 5pm we're gonna have coffee and pastries. So it's gonna be really, really cool.
[00:29:09] Speaker C: Do you have to be a student? Asking. Asking for.
[00:29:12] Speaker D: You can come.
[00:29:13] Speaker C: Okay, thanks. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think I need help.
[00:29:15] Speaker B: Yeah, girl, we'll have pastries there, so.
[00:29:17] Speaker C: Well, yeah, I will definitely partake in that. But I think that's something, I mean even you say it's for college students. I think, I mean, like I could probably get something out of that.
[00:29:30] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:29:31] Speaker C: Okay.
[00:29:31] Speaker B: Yeah, I'm coming. Yes.
[00:29:32] Speaker C: Okay. Didn't mean to interrupt.
[00:29:35] Speaker D: And then two online financial resources that are available for students or community members are Cash Course and Banzai.
Cash Course is really, really cool because they have online modules, but then they have this thing called the Budget Wizard. Students can use it on their phone, type in the daily expenses, prices, things that they spend money on, and the Budget wizard will create a budget for you based on your life as a college student. So I highly recommend that finding that on the HPW website. Then also Banzai. We partnered with Alabama Credit Union to bring Banzai to campus.
And Banzai is really awesome because especially if you're a non traditional student, maybe come to UA later in life, they have topics about buying a house or becoming a parent or different things like that that may be financial stressors for maybe not students 18 to 23, but still could be. So Banzai is a really, really awesome financial resource that's available too. And then a new, another new thing I brought to campus is peer financial coaching. And these are students coaching students sitting down, talking to students about budgeting or credit or more information about loans or life after college time another or moving to a new city, paying rent that way. So yeah, really exciting. A lot of different resources to offer to students. It can be overwhelming, but they are here.
[00:31:10] Speaker B: I, you know, I mean, I'm in awe every time you go through all of the different things that you offer related to financial wellness and financial literacy. And I do want to go back quickly to Cash Course, those online modules. And you know, I'm really grateful that our institution has access to it through our institutional Membership with a higher education financial wellness Alliance. But for any of our listeners who may be faculty on campus, one of the things that we've tried to make sure that faculty know is that especially if you're teaching those freshman Compass courses and you're wanting to include some type of financial literacy module, you can have your students complete specific types of modules on cash course and we can provide proof or the students able to download a certificate of completion for some different assignments. So doing that for extra credit or for part of a a module or whatever else. And you know, I could think of that for even some of those senior level courses. Like we're joking about some kind of exit course that you take before you leave the university.
This is a great way to do that. So, you know, I just appreciate Brendan managing all of these things. And I know, Brendan, you just mentioned the pure financial coaching and we're in our pure financial coaching recruitment right now, aren't we?
[00:32:33] Speaker D: We are, yeah. It opened up a few weeks ago and the application will be open until the Friday before spring break. It's a really amazing opportunity to do something that's really important on campus. And the value of the certification program is in the thousands and that's all being paid for by the Alabama Credit Union. So it's a really great opportunity if you want to learn more about finances, help other students on campus.
It's a resume booster. It looks really good for after college as well.
So if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me.
You can find my email on our website. You can find a blog post about, about the recruitment on our website or if you go to our Instagram, you will find information and a QR code to apply to be a peer financial coach.
[00:33:25] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, I think that this is just an incredible opportunity for those students that are in academic programs where they are looking to be a financial planner or going into accounting or anything else. Because like Brendan mentioned that certification is, you know, is worth several thousand dollars. And so I think in exchange for you being selected for the program and serving as a financial coach, you, you get that same certification that the professional financial advisors for Alabama Credit Union get. And I think a lot of students don't realize that. So, you know, I think that I'm excited to see what our recruitment process looks like this year for sure.
[00:34:08] Speaker C: So can I ask, what is the commitment like? So if you decide a student decides they want to be a peer financial coach and they go through the process, you know, is that a semester, a year or the rest of the Time they're in college. How's that look?
[00:34:26] Speaker D: Yeah. So hopefully the students coming in are sophomores or juniors, so we can have them be coaches for more than just one year.
And the certification process starts over the summer. So there is some commitment in terms of taking classes self studying over the summer. And then in late September is when the students will have to take the exam. And I actually went through the process with the students this past summer and fall semester just to learn and make sure I don't ever make this peer financial coaches learn anything or do anything that I didn't learn in the class.
And then at the end of their first fall semester, the students start practice coaching and that's usually with student workers in our office or project health students.
And then the spring semester is their first full semester coaching. So after that they can be in it as long as they'd like. But hopefully it's a two year commitment at least with in terms of the certification program and then fully coaching.
[00:35:25] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:35:25] Speaker B: And there are other institutions out there that provide similar services in terms of pure financial coaches. So I love the fact that here at UA we're able to provide that as well and you know, become a benchmark program for other, you know, other places to look at and be like, how do y' all do this?
[00:35:45] Speaker C: Yeah, I like that they have some time to practice, like, you know, at low stakes practice, you know, with somebody like you said, in the office, so that they are really building up their efficacy before they take on a client. I love that for sure.
[00:35:58] Speaker B: Sure. Well, Brendan, I know that we're going to have you on for our last five minute segment, but is there anything else you want our listeners to know related to your programs today?
[00:36:10] Speaker D: I think the big thing is that they're here for y'. All.
Utilize them. It's okay to kind of absorb one topic, one subject over the course of the semester to learn about it.
You're young, you're got a billion things going on. Life is chaotic, crazy busy. It moves fast. So if you have a little bit of time to learn a little bit more about a financial topic, that's amazing.
[00:36:37] Speaker B: I like that.
[00:36:38] Speaker C: And it's a transferable skill.
[00:36:40] Speaker B: Hashtag, transferable skill.
[00:36:42] Speaker C: You're not gonna let you know it's not. You may be like, I'm never going to write a paper again when I get out of college.
You're gonna be using finances for the rest of the of your life.
[00:36:51] Speaker B: You really will. And y'.
[00:36:52] Speaker C: All.
[00:36:52] Speaker B: With that, we're gonna take a quick break, but we will Come back for our closing segment with Mr. Rosman. You are listening to fit to be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7, the capstone.
[00:37:08] Speaker A: Wvuafm tuscaloos.
[00:37:18] Speaker C: Happy Sunday, y'.
[00:37:18] Speaker B: All.
[00:37:19] Speaker C: You are listening to fit to be tied with Sheena and Neeka on 90.7, the Capstone.
[00:37:23] Speaker B: That's right. And today we have had Mr. Brendan Rosman, who is a health promotion specialist in the department of health promotion and wellness here at ua. And if you are just now listening, oh, my lanta, y', all, you have got to go back and listen to our previous segments where Brendan has shared the plethora of financial wellness and financial literacy services and resources that we have here at the capstone. But we are now at the time of the show where I tend to go rogue and I ask a question that is typically not related to what we've been talking about today. But Brendon, okay, so you brought this up at the beginning. You mentioned that at your time before the capstone, you were working at a restaurant. And, and I know that you have a passion for cooking and, and being creative in that capacity. And over the time that I've gotten to know you, you are very passionate in particular about how a pizza is made and pizza toppings. And so I want you to share with our listeners, if you don't mind, what is your, like, dream pizza topping situation? Like, if you were to, like, make your dream pizza?
[00:38:37] Speaker D: Absolutely.
At the Italian restaurant I worked at in Columbus, Ohio, before I moved here, I probably made thousands of pizzas, you know.
[00:38:49] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:38:49] Speaker D: So I got very, you know, I, I spent a lot of time working with pizza, messing around with the ingredients. But at Filio, the restaurant in Columbus, we had a pear and brie pizza. But I, I like to add a certain different toppings to it. So oil base.
[00:39:08] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:39:09] Speaker D: Red pepper flakes, bacon under the cheese so it doesn't get burnt. Mozzarella, parmesan.
You put slices of pears on it. You put brie cheese on it.
Slices of brie cheese. You put caramelized onions on it.
And you put a little bit of grilled chicken on it. And then after it's baked, you want it to be not burnt but bubbly.
[00:39:36] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:39:36] Speaker D: With a little bit of crunch, a little bit of brown on it.
And you put a little bit of chili glaze, orange chili glaze on it.
And then also to top it off, you put some sprinkles of goat cheese.
[00:39:50] Speaker B: Now, did you make this pizza?
Plenty of time.
Were patrons ever allowed to order it? Or was it just something that you made on your own because you had access to all of those beautiful topics?
[00:40:03] Speaker D: So we had a parent brie pizza. It was a little bit more basic. The only meat on it was pastrami or not prosciutto.
Kind of ripped apart. It didn't have bacon, didn't have chicken, didn't have caramelized onions. It still had the chili glaze.
Didn't have goat cheese.
But it's a wonderful pizza. But at the end of the night, we had to make a family dinner. It would have a big salad, two big bowls of pasta, and then, like, six or six to eight pizzas.
Six to eight pizzas. And I would mess around with the toppings. Right. And try to be creative and try to create new pizzas that the staff wasn't eating every single night.
[00:40:42] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:40:43] Speaker D: Because the other pizza chefs, they would make the pizzas that were on our menu, so I always tried to be creative with it.
[00:40:50] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:40:50] Speaker C: So you said pear.
[00:40:52] Speaker D: Pear.
[00:40:53] Speaker C: So what do you think about those out there who are against the pineapple on a pizza? You're like, dude, you're set. No. 1990s. We've moved on to pear.
[00:41:03] Speaker D: I think there's a certain sweetness to it that really counterbalances the other ingredients or the other saltiness in the pizza. And I was definitely hesitant to have pear on my pizza. But once you have it, it's life changing.
[00:41:18] Speaker C: Now let me ask, is this, like, thin crust, hand toss, deep dish? What's the best crust to put this.
[00:41:24] Speaker D: Pizza on at the restaurant? It was like a hand toss. I would stretch it myself itself.
My personal favorite type of pizza is Detroit style. It's thicker. It's kind of like more of like a pan style.
I don't really like deep dish.
If you're from Chicago. I'm sorry, I just think it's not like a pizza. I think it's more like a. Like a dish.
[00:41:47] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:41:48] Speaker D: You know?
[00:41:49] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:41:49] Speaker D: But I think, like, hand tossed or, like, Detroit style would be good.
[00:41:54] Speaker B: I'm like, I'm hungry now.
[00:41:56] Speaker C: I did not know we had such a. A pizza connoisseur. I know.
[00:42:01] Speaker B: Yeah. I. Brandon, thank you for that. I feel like that was the best last question to ask you, because now I'm hungry. You've gotten people to think outside of the box. But thank you again for coming and bringing your financial wisdom to our UA students and community.
[00:42:15] Speaker C: Thank you.
[00:42:16] Speaker D: Yeah. Thank you so much for having me.
[00:42:18] Speaker B: Absolutely, y'.
[00:42:19] Speaker C: All.
[00:42:19] Speaker B: Well, Roll Tide. And you have been listening to another episode of Fit to Be tied with Sheena and Nika on 90.7 to Capstone.
[00:42:33] Speaker A: Wvuafm Tuscaloosa.
