Sheila Sanchez

As a young child, Sheila Sanchez learned the value of a dollar and started a savings plan. As a teenager, she earned a banking license and worked for State Farm Insurance under her mother's supervision.

"Most people assume because I'm the child of the business owner that I'm complacent," said the 19-year-old from Flowery Branch, Georgia. "I'm not. I take what I do seriously."

As a University of North Georgia (UNG) student, Sanchez uses her serious attitude and financial acumen to serve as the chief financial officer of the Latino Student Association (LSA) at UNG's Gainesville Campus.

She uses her knowledge and skills to balance the finances for LSA and organize its events. Sanchez has co-chaired the LSA's Cultural Expo and chaired La Voz, a Spanish-language singing competition.

"We were able to give out prize money," she said. "Last year, we only had 50 audience members. This year we tripled that number."

Her work with LSA caught the attention of Wakeitha Cunningham, president of Gainesville's Student Government Association (SGA) for the 2018-19 academic year. The next thing she knew, Sanchez became an SGA member and volunteered for its budget committee.

"I saw there was a lot of behind-the-scenes work that a lot of students could be involved in," she said. "And there was no reason for me not to get involved."

Her mission to help both organizations achieve their goals via oversight of the financial aspect is a common theme for Sanchez. The UNG sophomore, who is pursuing a psychology degree with a minor in business administration, hopes to earn a doctoral degree in public health policy. It is a marriage of her passion for proper health care and skills of financial planning.

"I want to be an advocate for elderly and low-income patients," Sanchez said. "I don't think there's a reason for people to suffer and not get the care they deserve."

She explained income affects what and how much people eat, where they attend schools and what kind of health care they receive. Sanchez knows she can make a difference for those people based on her financial and business background and study of psychology.

"I feel with public health, I can use my experience in a lot of different avenues," she said.

Her experience also includes undergraduate research experiences in UNG's Study of Community and Landscape Evolution (SCALE) lab. Sanchez studied the interactions between predator (a spider) and prey (a caterpillar). The results led to a presentation at the 2018 Annual Research Conference.

The experience piqued Sanchez's interest in future research and idea of graduate school. Her focus, however, shifted.

"I want to do a lot more and find research in the area of psychology," she said.

In the meantime, Sanchez finds time to help others with her financial prowess. She conducts financial literacy workshops with her mother for small business owners and a local business incubator. She also has a job with State Farm to help pay for her education.

"It will be helpful to start graduate school and graduate with no debt," she said.