Schools

Naugatuck Savings Bank Opens Branch at NHS [VIDEO]

High school students will run the bank branch along with a staff member from NSB.

When Naugatuck High School sophomore Katarina Gullotta decided to volunteer as one of the tellers the new Naugatuck Savings Bank branch inside the school’s cafeteria, she thought it would just be something to do for the school year.

But after take the required week of training, and learning the operations of the bank and how it functions, Gullotta said her opinion changed.

“I realized it was something I liked,” said the 14-year-old student, who noted that math is his her strongest study. “And that maybe I’d consider doing banking in the future.”

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Gullotta is one of eight high school students now staffing this new bank branch that officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday. The event was well attended by a number of members from the local bank’s staff, a the students, parents , school officials and borough officials.

The new bank — located right near the school’s first-floor front office — is a legitimate branch of the Naugatuck Savings Bank where students and staff at the school can do banking and make transactions, said Principal Jan Saam, one of the catalysts for getting the bank inside the high school.

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“It’s a full-working branch, just as you’d walk into any Naugatuck Savings Bank,” she said.

Mayor Robert Mezzo praised the combination of the two, calling it a “win-win” for the bank and the high school and saying it would benefit the students in this changing world.

“When you think about the institutions that built Naugatuck over the years, Naugatuck Savings Bank is one of the few that remains here,” Mezzo said. “From a child I can remember seeing that symbol here in our community and it’s meant a lot more than just banking and lending and helping people get on their feet with thieir first home... It’s meant a corporate philosophy of community service."

The idea on creating the bank started when Saam first saw how a Naugatuck Savings Bank branch opened up inside Nonnewaug High School in Woodbury. Saam said she got in touch with bank CEO Mark Yanarella about bringing a similar bank to Naugatuck High School.

The idea was set, Yanarella said, and the bank began working with the school on getting the branch inside the cafeteria. Architectural teacher Kevin Wesche and construction teacher Chuck Uszakiewicz assisted in facilitating the assembly of the branch.

Combined, a group of 30 students in both of the teachers’ classes helped design the branch and build it.

“We did the clean work and they did the dirty work,” Wesche said about the architectural students versus the building students.

The school’s business teacher, Kelly Black, selected the bankers, all of which have been involved in personal finance courses or accounting courses, Saam said. The students aren’t paid for the job, although they earn community service credit needed toward their graduation.

Highlighting several benefits to the partnership, Yanarella noted the students will learn financial literacy and the importance of savings. Those who will work in the bank would learn more about the business and — possibly like Gullotta — may one day think about pursuing a career in banking, he noted.

But there’s also an exchange going on between the students and the bank staff, Yanarella said.

“This isn’t just us helping educate you guys, which I hope we can do,” the CEO said. “But I also would like to ask all the students if you will help share ideas that you have with us, because this is really an education for both of us.”

The facility is open from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Saam said.


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