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Published: Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013 / Updated: Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2013 10:17 AM

With Founders’ help, ‘Warrior Central’ opens inside Indian Land Middle School

Students open accounts, learn to save

INDIAN LAND -- 

As the ribbon was cut on the new in-school Founder’s Federal Credit Union Friday morning, students rushed in the doors to get a glimpse.

The credit union will give students an opportunity to open a bank account and learn about saving money, officials said. The credit union will also serve as the school store.

The yellow walls, recently painted by Principal David McDonald, were covered in notepads, pencils, hoodies and fun odds and ends the students could purchase, including one item that really caught students’ eyes – fake mustaches.

The store will be operated entirely by students, from the cashiers to bank tellers to a marketing team that advertises the store itself.

“It’ll give them an opportunity to learn some great financial literacy skills for students who think money grows on trees, it seems like,” McDonald said.

Founders started the in-school credit union program in 2006. It is in 19 schools – 16 elementary schools and three middle schools.

“We really want to give these students an opportunity to understand how the real world operates,” said Founders spokesman Brian Bass.

Students help decide which products are sold in the store and were consulted before it was named Warrior Central.

Rory Cunningham, a seventh grader, will be one of the bank tellers. He said he’ll consider becoming a bank teller when he is older.

“I wanted to get a taste of what it’d be like in the real world,” Cunningham said.

Patrick Wagner, a sixth grader, is on the marketing team.

“I just thought it would be fun to do something totally new,” Wagner added.

Kimberley White’s daughter, Brianna, was chosen to be the store manager. The credit union’s employees were chosen after an interview process that included submitting a resume.

“I think it’s great that she is having to do things that college kids usually have to do. She’s prepared now, with a resume and she knows how to do that. It’s a great start. This is her first real job,” White said.