Financial Empowerment Fellowship
Financial Beginnings Oregon (FBOR) is engaging the future in financial education today as part of our Financial Empowerment Fellowships.

Each year, Financial Beginnings Oregon brings free financial education to communities all across our beautiful state. In 2020, we began including emerging young leaders to help us do this important work and enhance how we do it.

The Financial Empowerment Fellowship is a unique workforce development program for young adults from historically disenfranchised communities. Fellows help us build relationships with community partners, teach financial education, and improve our programs. They do all this while gaining professional skills, valuable resume-building work experience, and a competitive wage.

Meet this year's Financial Empowerment Fellows!
Melissa Ontiveros - Polk County
"I'm currently a Western Oregon University student studying business with concentrations in finance and management, along with a minor in communications. I'm excited and grateful to have the opportunity to be a Financial Beginnings Oregon Fellow. I look forward to this experience and connecting with many people along the way!"

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Grasiela Quevedo-Ramos - Multnomah County
"I am a Willamette University graduate biology and Spanish double major. I recently completed a year of service with Americorps at the Multnomah County Public Health Department working with the Youth Advisory Board (Youth-led Violence Prevention Program). I want more experience working with youth coming from historically excluded groups who are committed to making an impact on the world."

[email protected]
Kaelynn Simmons - Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
"I am currently a communications major at Western Washington University. I am an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde and am passionate about my community and people. I am excited to get started in this fellowship to improve my community's financial literacy!"

[email protected]
Check out these projects completed by our past fellows!

Introduction to Student Academy for Financial Empowerment
Alissa Ouanesisouk and Javier Gomez

Introduction to Financial Foundations
Grace Howard and William Toscano

Financial Empowerment Fellows Present - Women of Color in Finance
Deja Preusser and Abria Akil