A group of students from the Mississippi State University Montgomery Leadership Program will present “25 Sitting on $25 Mil…In Debt.” The event will take place at 6:30 p.m. in McCool Hall’s Taylor Auditorium April 14.
William Jackson, senior risk management major and co-host of the event, said the group chose April 14 because it is the day before tax day.
“That was just a significant day financially when we were first planning it out,” Jackson said. “We all thought with taxes coming up April 15, but we couldn’t get April 15 for Taylor, so we did the day before.”
Cody McClanahan, senior business information systems major, said the program can be beneficial for students who attend.
“I think the big thing they can benefit from is hearing from a wide range of speakers on different topics, from things that will come in handy while in school, but also mostly throughout your whole career,” McClanahan said. “Dealing with student loans, to the importance of your credit score and even going into your investment which you will probably be doing the rest of your life.”
McClanahan also said the event will provide advice such as the benefits of saving at a young age.
“It’s almost impossible for someone who doesn’t start saving until 10 years into their career to actually catch up with someone that started saving in the beginning,” McClanahan said. “It’s just important to start with a good foundation.”
Haden Johnson, junior biomedical engineering major, said the goal of the upcoming event is to help college students, especially those soon to graduate, learn how to be financially secure.
Johnson also said the program will provide advice from quality professionals with experience.
“They’re professionals in the field, so they obviously know the most about it,” Johnson said. “That way people can get the most advice.”
The event will feature financially educated professional speakers along with prize giveaways.
Jerry Tony, senior investment advisor for Cadence Investment Services, a division of Cadence Bank, will speak on saving, budgeting and investing. Marcus Mallory, Vice President of Bank First of Columbus, will describe online banking and overall financial health.  Alexander Washington, MSU Financial Aid Counselor, will explain student loans and the process of paying back.