Investing in the Next Generation: UTFCU Celebrates Welcome Weekend at UT Martin

From serving snow cones to incoming students to talking about college life and financial decisions, leading a hands-on financial education activity and giving students a chance to win cash, our team spent the weekend connecting with the newest members of the Skyhawk community.

Welcoming Students to Martin

Welcome Weekend kicked off Thursday with the Welcome Home Picnic, giving incoming students and their families a chance to relax, connect and enjoy their first evening on campus.

The UTFCU team joined The Blue Swing Shaved Ice to serve snow cones to students.

It was a simple way to start the weekend, but it represented something important to us: being present in the communities we serve.

UTFCU has been part of the Martin community since opening its Martin branch in 1989, and we were excited to welcome another generation of students to the community we have been proud to serve for decades.

Helping Students Start Their First Year With Confidence

Friday morning brought incoming Skyhawks together in the Kathleen and Tom Elam Center for UT Martin's inaugural First Flight Frenzy, an ESPN GameDay-style experience designed to build excitement for the new school year and help students prepare for their first year at UT Martin.

Presented in partnership with UTFCU, the event featured remarks from UT Martin Chancellor Yancy Freeman Sr., Provost Laurie Couch, UTFCU CEO and President Kenyon Warren, Dr. Giles, a UTM faculty member, and Scarlett Seymour, a UTM student. Each shared advice and personal perspective on making the most of the first-year experience.

For Warren, the conversation provided an opportunity to connect with students about college life, independence and the financial decisions that come with taking on more responsibility.

College is full of firsts, including many of the first financial decisions students make on their own. Students begin managing money away from home, deciding how to spend limited funds, handling unexpected expenses, balancing wants and needs, building savings and learning from financial mistakes.

The event also brought plenty of energy and student participation. Students took part in interactive activities including a "Moneyball" shootout, where deans wore basketball goals on their heads while students raced the clock to score, and a Price Is Right-style challenge that tested their knowledge of the cost of common college housing items.

The combination of conversation, competition and campus connection gave students an energetic introduction to life as a Skyhawk.

"We want to be a resource students can lean on as they build financial confidence, not simply a name they saw on a sponsorship banner," Warren said.

That idea carried throughout the weekend. From hands-on financial education during Free Play to opportunities to connect with students throughout Welcome Weekend, UTFCU's goal was to make its presence meaningful, approachable and relevant to students as they begin this new chapter.

Bringing Financial Education to Free Play

One of the highlights of UTFCU's Welcome Weekend involvement was Free Play, where our team partnered with UT Martin's Center for Student Success and Career Development (CPAD) to bring financial education directly into the student experience.

Two interactive activities gave students a chance to think about money in a way that was hands-on, approachable and, most importantly, relevant to college life.

Plinko Your Money

Ninety students participated in Plinko Your Money, an interactive financial education activity designed to show how everyday decisions and unexpected events can affect your money.

Students received a UTFCU-branded wristlet to use as their College Money Wallet, along with $500 in UTFCU College Cash.

Then came the Plinko drop.

Each student landed on a different college-life scenario, such as:

• Grandma Came Through
• Your Venmo Got Hacked
• Surprise Textbook
• FOMO!
• Car Trouble
• Subscription Creep
• Side Hustle
• Financial Aid Refund

Some scenarios put money into their wallet. Others took money out.

But every scenario came with a Money Move designed to connect the experience to a practical financial habit, from building emergency savings and identifying wants versus needs to protecting accounts from fraud and thinking carefully about unexpected income.

Students then made another Plinko drop and saw how their choices and circumstances affected the money they had left.

The point wasn't to teach students that they should never spend money.

It was to help them understand that knowing where your money is going is one of the most important parts of managing it.

Two UTM Bookstore gift cards were also given away during the activity, adding another element of fun for participating students.

Take a Guess. Take the Cash.

For more than three decades, UTFCU has been part of the Martin community. The activity gave us a fun way to connect that history with the students who are now beginning their own journey in Martin.

And, of course, there was cash on the line.

More Than a Sponsorship

Welcome Weekend included activities across several days, and UTFCU's involvement extended well beyond financial education.

Our team supported events including the Welcome Home Picnic, First Flight Frenzy, Glow Night, Free Play activities and the Saturday night Welcome Weekend Concert.

Throughout the weekend, UTFCU employees had opportunities to meet students where they were, have conversations, answer questions, hand out giveaways and simply be part of the Welcome Weekend experience.

That's what community investment looks like to us.

It isn't always about a big moment or a formal presentation.

Sometimes it's serving a snow cone.

Sometimes it's talking with a student about their first year of college.

Sometimes it's handing someone a fan on a hot Tennessee afternoon.

And sometimes it's giving a student a chance to think differently about their money.

Helping Students Take Their Next Financial Step

Financial independence is one of the many new responsibilities that comes with college.

Students are making decisions about spending, saving, transportation, subscriptions, food, textbooks and unexpected expenses, often while managing their own money for the first time.

That's one reason UTFCU recently introduced

, an account designed specifically with students in mind.

The account gives eligible students access to features designed to fit college life, including cash back on qualifying debit card purchases, nationwide ATM access and Digital Banking.

For students beginning their journey at UT Martin, having a financial partner that understands the realities of college life can be an important part of building good money habits early.

Learn More About Student Checking

Investing in the Next Generation of Skyhawks

UTFCU has been part of the Martin community since 1989, when we opened our branch in the community.

Our connection to Martin has continued to grow over the years, and Welcome Weekend was another opportunity to invest in that relationship.

We were honored to partner with UT Martin and CPAD to help welcome an incoming class of more than 1,000 first-year students to campus and help them begin this next chapter.

Because investing in a community means investing in the people who make that community stronger.

We believe in investing in UTM.
We believe in investing in students.
And we believe in investing in the Martin community.

Welcome to Martin, Skyhawks. We are excited to see where this next chapter takes you.

Welcome Weekend Photo Gallery