Meet the Delhi Dollar Scholars

Meet the Delhi Dollar Scholars

Louis A. Reyes Jr.

• 
• Reason for being a Delhi Dollar Scholar:
  I want our students at SUNY Delhi to be financially prepared for their futures.  I want to prevent them from making similar mistakes that I made regarding money matters.
• The best financial advice you’ve ever received:
  Borrow only the money you need for college.  It seems nice to get a refund check, but you will have to pay back much more then you receive.
• Financial myth you used to live by:
  I can’t save money until I get a high paying job.
• Worst Spending Habit:
  Having to get the newest and latest as soon as it comes out.  You pay a premium price and often if you would have just waited a little bit you can save a lot of money.
• Favorite money quote:
  "They say time is money but really it’s not. If we ever go broke, time is all we got." - J. Cole   

Adam Lang

• 
• Reason for being a Delhi Dollar Scholar:
  Wanting to increase campus financial literacy and assist students in building a strong and secure financial foundation for their future.
• The best financial advice you’ve ever received:
  “Be prepared for the unexpected.”  As soon as you acquire a job or a steady revenue of income, place money aside each month to build an emergency fund that will be able to support your lifestyle and expenses for 5-7 months.  If you lose your job, have unexpected expenses, or need a little extra cash, you will have the money set aside already.
• Financial myth you used to live by:
  “I don't have enough money to start investing.”  Even if it is simply a dollar a week, setting aside money into a retirement account will pay dividends later in life.
• Worst Spending Habit:
  Dining out
• Favorite money quote:
  "Work until your bank account looks like a phone number." – Jordan Belfort

Galya Nocheva

• 
• Reason for being a Delhi Dollar Scholar:
  I love helping our students.
• The best financial advice you’ve ever received:
  Do not increase your spending when you get a raise.
• Financial myth you used to live by:
  Always use cash.
• Worst Spending Habit:
  Buying new shoes every month.
• Favorite money quote:
  “The goal isn’t more money. The goal is living life on your terms” –Will Rogers

Nicholas Bonventre:

• 
• Reason for being a Delhi Dollar Scholar:
  Because financial competency can change your whole life.
• The best financial advice you’ve ever received:
  Buy low cost index funds, and hold them forever.
• Financial myth you used to live by:
  That I would never get out of debt.
• Worst Spending Habit:
  Splurge at restaurants.
• Favorite money quote:
  "Some men worship rank, some worship heroes, some worship power, some worship God, & over these ideals they dispute & cannot unite--but they all worship money."  - M. Twain

Robert Mazzei

• 
• Reason for being a Delhi Dollar Scholar:
  Having had struggles with debt most of my adult life, I want to give students the knowledge to avoid the pitfalls of finance.
• The best financial advice you’ve ever received:
  Consolidate your credit cards and loans.
• Financial myth you used to live by:
  Credit cards are good.
• Worst Spending Habit:
  Dining out too much.
• Favorite money quote:
  "Define needs and wants."

Elizabeth Hoyt

• 
• Reason for being a Delhi Dollar Scholar:
  I am hoping to be more financially responsible myself. For me, the best way to retain and practice what I have learned is to help educate others.
• The best financial advice you’ve ever received:
  Envelopes…they are the key to small savings that make a huge impact.
• Financial myth you used to live by:
  “Don’t trust banks, keep the money at home, in a piggy bank.”
• Worst Spending Habit:
  Delicious caffeinated beverages and an exorbitant amount of food.
• Favorite money quote:
  “If you want to feel rich, count the things you have that money cannot buy.”

Karyn Wendrow

• 
• Reason for being a Delhi Dollar Scholar:
  When I graduated from college, the one thing I wish I had access to was education about personal finance.  Having knowledge about personal budgets, savings accounts, retirement accounts, and more can make the transition into the “real world” a little less stressful.  I hope Delhi Dollar Scholars can help SUNY Delhi students feel more confident in their lives outside of college and making positive financial decisions for their futures.
• The best financial advice you’ve ever received:
  If you don’t have enough cash to buy something (with the exception of a house or a car), don’t buy it.  If it is a big-ticket item and you can’t afford a new one, look into used. This applies to furniture, clothes, technology, and more!
• Financial myth you used to live by:
  That those store credit cards were a good choice.  You do not need to take out a credit card with a crazy-high interest rate to save $5 on your purchase at the checkout.
• Worst Spending Habit:
  Coffee! I’m trying to bring it from home more often.
• Favorite money quote:
  Every dollar you spend is a reflection of your values. – Rachel Cruze

Felicia Magnan

• 
• Reason for being a Delhi Dollar Scholar:
  Lack of financial literacy and education has impacted my family and community, so I want to help others take control of their lives through their finances
• The best financial advice you’ve ever received:
  Seamless Savings: When setting up direct deposit for your paycheck, commit to a certain percentage (80/20% or 90/10%) being deducted and automatically sent to a “savings” account.
• Financial myth you used to live by:
  You should only save money through a savings account.
• Worst Spending Habit:
  Buying random sale items on the sole virtue that it’s on sale.
• Favorite money quote:
  “Find the happiness that money cannot buy.”

Ben Falcheck

• 
• Reason for being a Delhi Dollar Scholar:
  Prior to working at SUNY Delhi, I was a banker and I saw a lot of people get caught in a spiral of financial trouble that could’ve been mitigated by a handful of better decisions. I want to give our students the tools to avoid those pitfalls.
• The best financial advice you’ve ever received:
  Two things: Save at least 10% of your income, and be 100% honest about your financial health.
• Financial myth you used to live by:
  Not looking at my bank account means it’s ok.
• Worst Spending Habit:
  I’m extremely susceptible to new or interesting things at the grocery store or hardware store that end up being impulse buys.  
• Favorite money quote:
  “Nothing can be settled in isolation. Every use of our resources is at the expense of an alternative use.” – John Maynard Keynes

Daniel Graham

• 

• Reason for being a Delhi Dollar Scholar:
  “With all the uncertainties today surrounding financial stability, and from my own personal experiences, I feel it’s important that students, and even our campus community, should make themselves aware of financial responsibility and start preparing as soon as possible.”

  The best financial advice you’ve ever received:
  As funny as it sounds, it came from comedian Jay Leno. Before he made it big on The Tonight Show, Leno made ends meet by having dual incomes, saving one and spending the other. In the beginning, he saved the money he made working at a car dealership and spent the money he made as a comedian. Then when his standup career took off, he began spending the smaller income and saving the bigger one. Leno still applies this principle to this day.

  Financial myth you used to live by:
  “Put it on my tab, I’ll figure it out later.” That was my attitude for many things throughout college and even early adulthood, ranging from as big as my college tuition all the way down to going out with friends. Looking at your bills afterwards snaps you out of that mindset rather quickly.

  Worst Spending Habit: Traveling.

  Favorite money quote: “Money cannot buy happiness. It can, however, rent it.”