Torrey Pines Bank has been named Volunteer Company of the Year by Junior Achievement of San Diego for their impact on over 2,000 students through the Mission Fed Junior Achievement Finance Park program. 

The volunteer team from Torrey Pines Bank met with groups of approximately 120 high-school aged students from various high schools around San Diego County and provided critical insight into various areas of personal financial management including savings and investing, responsible use of credit cards and debt, and the role of credit scores and the effect of credit reporting on personal finances.

 During the program, students had the opportunity to apply their new skills in a simulated life situation in which decisions such as purchasing a car and home, buying groceries, establishing savings accounts, making investments and donating to charity, had to be made within the limits of a given budget. Additionally, students were given access to the program’s Career Center where they researched salaries, job openings and used other tools to help them think about planning their future education and career choices.

“Junior Achievement’s Finance Park program is very important to our team, it is a way to get high-school students thinking about the impact their education and career will have on their future quality of life,” said Sean Hunt, vice president, real estate loan officer of Torrey Pines Bank. “I think many students came to the realization of what things really cost and how important it is to properly budget their money and make smart decisions on spending and investing. They’ve learned these valuable lessons can impact the rest of their lives,” he added.