More Than Transactions
How Blackhawk Community Credit Union is Building Financial Well-Being Across Our Communities
For Teresa Riesterer, Director of Community Engagement and Education, and Heather Vokral, Financial Outreach and Education Coordinator, that mission goes far beyond the classroom. Every presentation, student interaction, and community partnership is rooted in one guiding principle that has defined credit unions for generations: people helping people.
“We don’t just want to teach financial concepts,” Teresa explains. “We want to promote financial well-being.”
A Community-First Approach
Community has always been at the heart of BHCCU.
BHCCU partners with local schools and organizations such as Junior Achievement, YWCA, CareerTek and Craftsman With Character to reach students and families across Rock County.
“We’re the financial experts,” Heather says. “We feel we have an obligation to share that knowledge with our community.”
From classrooms to community programs, their goal is simple: make financial education approachable, relevant and impactful.
“We want to take the fear out of finances,” Heather adds. “That fear often comes from simply not understanding.”
Learning by Doing
A key part of that mission is BHCCU’s in-school branch program, originally launched in 2009, where students gain hands-on experience with personal finance, not just learning about money, but actually practicing what they learn.
Teresa compares it to a science class.
“You learn the concepts in class, but then you go to the lab to practice them. Our student branches are that financial lab.”
Students can make deposits, complete transactions, ask questions, and gain confidence using financial services in a supportive environment. The experience reinforces classroom lessons while making money management feel approachable.
In 2016, BHCCU expanded its impact even further by launching its Youth Apprenticeship Program.
The program provides students in Milton, Edgerton, Stoughton, Beloit, Kenosha, and Delavan school districts with real workplace experience and high school credit while helping them develop professionalism, accountability, communication skills, and confidence.
Every year, Teresa and Heather refine the programs based on feedback from students, continually looking for new ways to improve the experience.
Teaching More Than Money
The lessons students learn through BHCCU go beyond budgets and bank accounts.
Throughout every program, Teresa and Heather emphasize values like goal setting, generosity, responsible spending, and making intentional financial decisions.
Their department has built its educational philosophy around the National Standards for Personal Financial Education.
Earning Income. Spending. Saving. Investing. Managing Credit. Managing Risk.
Students also learn that financial success isn’t about never spending money, it’s about creating a plan.
“As I tell students,” Teresa says, “just because you can’t afford something today doesn’t mean you don’t deserve it. It simply means you need a plan to get there.”
That mindset helps students see money as a tool rather than something to fear.
Shaping the Future
At Blackhawk Community Credit Union, we do more than just complete member transactions. We build relationships, offer guidance, and support our members every step of the way.
“Credit unions are all about people helping people,” Teresa said. “BHCCU is founded on community. It’s one of the pillars of who we are.”
That commitment is exactly what drives Teresa and Heather. Their goal goes beyond teaching students how to balance a checkbook or open a savings account, it’s about helping young people build confidence, develop healthy financial habits, and understand that with the right plan, their goals are within reach.