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myEECUSUMMER 2019 ISSUE NO. 39M E M B E R P RO FILEMember Spotlight:Simone MontezAdministrative Assistant,Martin Luther King Jr. Middle Schoolin MaderaOne of Simone Montez’s impromptu mentoring sessions with a studentpersonifies her presence and value on campus.The teenager was having a bad day and disrupted his classroom, landinghim in Simone’s care in the office. She had the student sit next to her andgently, yet sternly, prodded him to open up.“Now, what happened? Why are you here again? And I’m not going to stopuntil you tell me.”The student eventually shared that things weren’t going well at homeand he brought that to school, which then boiled over in class.(Cont. inside—Simone Montez)PRODUCT / SERV I CE PROF I L EAn Energy-Smart Home Beginswith an ECOlogical LoanAre you considering interior and exterior home upgrades like solar panels, synthetic lawns,tankless water heaters, Energy Smart appliances and water-wise landscaping? You canfinance all that and more with our ECOlogical Loan.Energy-smart home upgrades can help you save money and boost your home’s appeal tobuyers. With our ECOlogical Loan, there’s no equity, collateral or appraisal required, andyou can borrow up to 40,000 at our low rate.Visit myEECU.org for a full list of eligible products you can purchase with an ECOlogical Loan.Products and services purchased with the ECOlogical Loan proceeds must meet EECU Energy Efficiency Standards.

SUMMER 2019Bulletin BoardHoliday HoursIn observance of the followingholidays, we will be closed:Independence DayThursday, July 4Mobile Deposits JustGot a Whole Lot Easier!Normal business hours will resumeon Friday, July 5.Labor DayMonday, September 2Normal business hours will resumeon Tuesday, September 3.Our mobile app now includes Auto Capture for check deposits, eliminatingthe need to manually take a photo of your check. With Auto Capture enabledon the deposit screen, simply hold your device over the check and it willautomatically capture a usable image. No tapping required!Enjoy the convenience of depositing checks anytime, anywhere. Download thelatest version of our mobile app today.Add Us to YourTraveling Plans ChecklistWe take extensive measures to help minimize and prevent fraud. If we notice debit or creditcard transactions from a location that is outside of your normal spending pattern, we mayblock your card for your protection. If you know you’ll be traveling and using your card(s),let us know to prevent interruption in card access while you travel.Call us at 1-800-538-3328 or complete the Traveling Members form in Online Banking(the form is located in the Additional Services menu and in More on our app).We also encourage you to enroll your debit and credit cards in our fraud text alertservice. When there is unusual activity on your account, you’ll receive a text message onyour mobile phone. You’ll be able to review the transaction details and respond via textto verify the transaction. It’s easy to enroll and the service is free.Visit myEECU.org for more information about enrolling in our fraud text alert service.Standard text messaging and data rates may apply.

Congratulations to Our Grant RecipientsThe Board of Directors is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2019 EECU Student Grant Program. Each recipientwill receive 2,000 to be used toward college education expenses. Our Student Grant Program started in 2003 and to datewe have awarded more than 1.3 million in grants to students who are pursuing higher education.Our Board of Directors established the grant program to help students with their education expenses, and we are proudthat our investment is helping to educate the next generation of teachers, doctors, accountants, nurses, and more.The 2019 Student Grant Program recipients listed below received special recognition at our Annual Meeting in June.Mike Snell, chair of EECU’s Board of Directors, and Beth Dooley, president/CEO, presented each recipient with acertificate of achievement.This is the 17th year that EECU has offered the Educational Grant Program to assist members with their highereducation expenses.We congratulate the 50 grant recipients and wish them continued success in their field of study. Applications for the 2020grant program will be available in October.Narayana Adisasmito-Smith, Clovis, CAYazmin Gonzalez, Fresno, CAClaire Stewart, Clovis, CAPhillip Anderson III, Fresno, CAEliza Guzman, Selma, CACarina Tokatian, Fresno, CAJordan Bettencourt, Visalia, CAMaggie Hirschler, Kerman, CAAlexander Tran***, Fresno, CALauren Butler, Clovis, CANicole E. Hudecek, Fresno, CAGaonoucci Belle Vang, Fresno, CAAntonia Consuelo Cardinale, Fresno, CABao Kou Lee, Fresno, CANoknark Vang, Fresno, CAMadeline Charnow, Clovis, CAPheng Lee, Fresno, CARebekah Villalta, La Jolla, CAKhori M. Cranford, Selma, CAAbigail Maciel-Romero, Exeter, CAAlexia Walker, Clovis, CAAmaya De Vore, Clovis, CAJonnie Montano, Madera, CAAshley Walker, Clovis, CAAngelica De La Cruz , Firebaugh, CAShannon Moua, Fresno, CATyler Wilson*, Sacramento, CAYesenia De La Cruz*, Firebaugh, CAJesus Navarro, Mendota, CAKailee Wright, Kingsburg, CAJasmine Dilworth, Fresno, CAJasmine Ibal Nolasco, Kerman, CABrandon Xiong, Fresno, CAJesus Duran , Hayward, CAKenya Ochoa, Visalia, CAAlison Yang, Visalia, CAAgueda Espinoza, Hanford, CAGrace Ochs, Fresno, CAKelsey C. Ewing , Clovis, CAHannah Ravizza, Clovis, CAAudrey Flores, Exeter, CAMarina Renteria, Corcoran, CANatalia Flores, Fresno, CAEvelyn Reyes*, Fresno, CAMiranda Fulbright, Fresno, CAJoanna Roberto, Davis, CAKyle Gage, Fresno, CAJordan Rosales**, Philadelphia, PAHannah Gonos*, Fresno, CASouvixada Sky Somsacksy, Fresno, CA*****Two-time recipient **Three-time recipient *** Four-time recipient

ME MB E R PR O F ILESimone Montez (Cont. from Cover)“OK, you’re going to sit here and help me,” other campus details and responsibilitiesshe said, talking through his problems as running smoothly.they sorted papers.That entails quite a bit, including assistingSimone’s title is administrative assistant administrators with phone calls frombut she is also every bit a nurturing parents, attending to student needs,teacher at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle budgeting, ordering teacher and classroomsupplies, and ensuring the principal’s andSchool in Madera.staff appointments and meetings are kept,She is a combination of compassion and and so on.tough love of which the students are wellaware. They know the rules when they “When the nurse is out, I’m it.”walk into the office – no cell phones, no earbuds, hoodies off their heads, and be quiet In addition, she runs the after-schoolprogram. All of this often keeps her onand patient.campus from about 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.“The kids learn that if they’ve been sent tothe office, they will wait respectfully until As a pre-med major, Simone did not seeherself in education. Things changedan adult is ready to see them.”when she was diagnosed with lupusSimone tells students that she’s on their during her pregnancy with her son 17½side while reinforcing that they need to years ago. Needing a steady job and healthtemper the attitude and be courteous to insurance, she went to work for MaderaUnified School District.staff and fellow students.“You can’t put a price onmaking a person’s lifesuccessful.”Simone has a front-row seat to middleschool challenges that are fraught withemotional and physical changes. Educatorsand parents understand it’s a pivotal time.“Students don’t know if they want to behugged and coddled or if they’re on thecusp of being an adult,” says Simone, whowas recognized as Madera County SchoolEmployee of the Year in October 2018.Social media muddies the often-treacherouswaters. Parents need to keep abreast oftheir children’s social media activity, shesays. Simone gets alerts whenever her17-year-old son, Ethan, receives a textmessage, email or phone call.“Everything is a crisis,” she says ofstudents’ reactions to social media.She also advises them on the ripple She has taught literacy classes and Put these moments in perspective, sheeffects of their decisions. Students don’t eventually became part of a district literacy advises while also acknowledging that itthink about the consequences of a parent team that coaches students with low is hard at their age. She counsels themrepeatedly called to the campus for their reading skills. The district invested in a to see these as merely teen speed bumpsliteracy program that is costly but effective. rather than roadblocks.misbehavior.The students not only learn to read but“Your actions don’t just affect you,” she tells they also gain writing, comprehension, Her message to her son and studentsthe students. “They don’t think, ‘My dad grammar and punctuation skills.is: “Don’t let it make or break you orhas been to the school four times this weekdefine you.”and it’s embarrassing. He has to take off “The outcome is priceless. We hadwork and it could affect him putting food teenagers who couldn’t write their names Simone, who undergoes extensiveand didn’t know vowel sounds. That treatment for lupus, says that while aon the table.’ ”bleeds out into everything in life. If you steady job and health insurance boughtThese are conversations that need to be can’t read, you can’t do math, science and her to Madera Unified, those factors arehad but not in a demeaning way. Instead, fun elective classes.”not why she is still there.she insists on an amicable exchange.“I’m their biggest advocate but I don’t do Reading opens a new world for students “That’s not the reason you stay in education.who can go on to have good jobs and be able You fall in love with it along the way. I’m notdisrespectful.”to care for their families. The program’s here by accident. It’s not what I planned butHer duties as administrative assistant success rate is high and the cost is worth it’s where I’m supposed to be.”call for her to keep the office and plenty of the investment.

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