The Obama Administrationhonored an educator with the Albuquerque, N.M.-based New Mexico Educators Federal Credit Union for her innovativework to provide financial education and job training to Latinostudents.

Shana Runck, assistant vice president of community relations andfinancial capabilities at the $1.5 billion credit union, was one of10 educational executives participating in the Latino EducatorChampions of Change program Sept. 22 at the WhiteHouse. At left, she is pictured to the right of Vice PresidentJoe Biden. Also pictured is NMEFCU SVP of Human Resources MichelleDearholt.

Interviewed after the event by CU Times, Runckdescribed the day as “extremely busy” and the White House as morebeautiful than she expected.

“We had four layers of security to get through,” Runckexplained, “including passes with explosive sniffing dogs, whichwas a first for me.”

Once at the White House, Runck and the other award winners fromall over the country took part in a panel discussion of their workwith Latino students in the West Wing of the White House. Runcksaid the experience left her feeling particularly proud of hercredit union.

“I suppose I had always known it, but it wasn't until I actuallyarrived that I realized I was the only educator from the privatesector being recognized,” she said, noting that the other ninewinners had all come from public schools or other publiceducational efforts.

“I think it says a lot for New Mexico Educators that the creditunion is so committed to this community effort that its work hasbeen recognized,” Runck said.

That evening, Runck and the other winners attended a receptionat the vice president's residence where they met Biden. PresidentObama also attended the event for a few moments.

“He couldn't stay very long, but he was there and that wasspecial,” she said.

Runck and NMEFCU won the award for Runck's work developing thecurriculum used for the Financial Services Career Explorationprogram, an option Albuquerque students have as part of the RunningStart for Careers program.

Running Start for Careers allows high school sophomores, juniorsand seniors to earn high school and community college creditthrough lessons in class and working in their field. Runck wrotethe curriculum for the financial service course in the program andNMEFCU provided a job site for the internships. The creditunion also employed 14 interns last year who worked across thecredit union, from teller lines to marketing and humanresources.

“We wanted to demonstrate that there is more to working infinancial services or at a credit union than the teller lines,”Runck said. “Young people say they don't want to work in financialservices because they don't want to be tellers. We want to showthem there is more to it than that.”

“New Mexico Educators Federal Credit Union is honored that Shanawill receive this prestigious national honor for her work with thecommunity and helping students pursue education and careers in thefinancial services industry,” Terry Laudick, CEO of New MexicoEducators Federal Credit Union said. “The credit union has longbeen committed to the principles of education and community impact,and this work turns those commitments into reality.”