Education Credit Union to cut ribbon on Badger $mart Branch serving Amarillo College students

AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – Amarillo College and Education Credit Union are inviting the community to a celebratory ribbon-cutting and grand-opening event for ECU’s new “Badger $mart Branch” on Amarillo College’s Washington Street Campus.

According to officials from AC, the celebration is from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 27 and will feature a DJ, pizza and sodas, some giveaways, and a ceremonial ribbon-cutting that is slated to take place at 3:15 p.m. Officials stated that ECU’s Badger $mart Branch is located at 512 SW 22nd Ave., a block east of Washington Street and directly north of AC’s Dutton Hall.

“We are excited to open the Badger $mart Branch and further our commitment to the Amarillo College community,” said Marcus Smith, CEO of Education Credit Union. “This branch represents our dedication to supporting education and providing students with real-world experience that will benefit them throughout their careers.”

Officials stated the event signals the fruition of a partnership long since committed to establishing a student-run ECU branch at the College. The branch is a full-service retail branch and will provide the same financial services to ECU members that all branches offer, however, outside of a few management-level ECU team members, all other employees will be AC students. Officials noted that the branch officially opens to the public on Aug. 15.

“Similar to our AmTech Branch and Buff $mart Branch in Canyon, we will be providing Amarillo College students hands-on experiences through internships,” said Jen Ufford, Senior Vice President of Member Experience at ECU.

AC officials noted that the ECU branch will also offer financial literacy workshops and money management boot camps to the entire AC community with the first workshops already scheduled for Sept. 10 and Nov. 5, each from 11:45 a.m.-12:30 p.m., in the Badger Corner at the College Union Building (CUB).

“Additionally, the Badger $mart Branch reflects a partnership that enriches the lives of AC students, faculty, and the surrounding community with financial tools to set our members up for success in their financial journey,” she said.

According to AC officials, the partnership was formally approved by AC Regents in August of 2023 and ECU leased and renovated an existing building, and the made-over structure now features drive-up windows, a full lobby, and offices.

Officials stated that AC students who are interested in applying for ECU internships, starting at $15 an hour, will be able to do so through an online recruiting platform called Handshake, which is currently being installed and is expected to be accessible to the AC community by Aug. 26. New internships will be available at the start of each new semester.

“We are excited about ECU’s presence on campus,” said Dr. Frank Sobey, Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at AC. “It will provide selected students with work-based learning opportunities to gain experience in the basic principles and practices of the financial services industry, training in the basics of teller operations and member services, and other skills required by the credit unions for their professional staff.”

“Additionally,” he said, “ECU will provide financial literacy workshops that may prove invaluable for our students who soon plan on entering the workforce.”

AC officials stated that the partnership marks the second time ECU has established a presence on the Washington Street Campus in the past year. The ECU Foundation gifted $500,000 to endow STEM scholarships at AC last October, according to officials, and the college christened one of its vital labs the ECU Foundation STEM Lab.

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