USuccess , DifferenceMakers

One of the members USuccess team holding a microphone and speaking in front of blue UMass Lowell backdrop while 5 others look on.

USuccess will help prevent student debt.

2022 Honorable Mention

USuccess is a group of business majors whose main goal is to create more financial stability and less frustration about finances by educating people on how to best use their money. They have designed a curriculum which will cover personal finance, decision making, and planning for a successful future. The team realized how difficult it is for students to understand financial literacy on their own. Learning about this topic is not required in college, though students typically take out thousands of dollars in loans each year.

The USuccess team consists of Anna Kouadio, junior business major and senior business majors Nyna Pendkar, Mikaela Murphy, Kyle Knapp, Kaitlyn Catron and Cleidir Mendes. USuccess is trying to focus on prevention rather than a cure by spreading financial literacy amongst students. According to the Education Data Initiative, over 70% of students are in $100,000 debt or more and are still paying these loans back after 20 years post-graduation. With the $2,000 in funding USuccess obtained from the 2022 $50K Idea Challenge, they will work to further their curriculum development and launch their website.