Eboni Rhodes, SCMS,CCUFC

I attribute my success to having an amazing support system. I feel like I wouldn't be as far as I am right now without that amazing support system of family, friends, and even co-workers who have pushed me and helped me along the way, and even encouraged me. Because, you know, sometimes we're our hardest critics, we get down on ourselves, we kind of second-guess ourselves. And I feel like the only reason why I have gotten as far as I have is because I have people around me that believed in me, supported me, and helped to guide me. I've had incredible mentors like Shantae Finner, who worked with me at the Institute, Janine Floor, and definitely Sharon Rodine. These people have provided guidance and encouragement that helped shape my professional development and confidence as a leader.

The best career advice I’ve received came from my mentors, including Shantae Finner, Janine Floor, and Sharon Rodin, who taught me to lead with confidence, seek guidance when needed, and always keep growing professionally.

As a young woman starting off in this industry, stop second-guessing yourself. Let your voice be heard, let your presence be known when you enter that room. Speak with conviction, understanding that you were put in a role for a reason, and that this is exactly where you are supposed to be at this moment. Think about what changes or what impacts you can make that could definitely help somebody else that's coming up after you. Like, how can you be a kind of mentor or a leader? I think, honestly, our biggest challenge is ourselves. I feel like sometimes, as women, we don't put ourselves out there because we're thinking, well, I don't think I'm qualified for that yet, or maybe I'm not quite ready. I need a few more accolades before I push myself to do that. We second-guess ourselves a lot. And I notice sometimes our male counterparts are just gonna throw themselves out there and kind of just wing it, and they'll learn as they go. So I think it would be us, and us having that self-doubt, and that's what our biggest issue is.

I think, honestly, our biggest challenge is ourselves. I feel like sometimes, as women, we don't put ourselves out there because we're thinking, well, I don't think I'm qualified for that yet, or maybe I'm not quite ready. I need a few more accolades before I push myself to do that. We second-guess ourselves a lot. And I notice sometimes our male counterparts are just gonna throw themselves out there and kind of just wing it, and they'll learn as they go. So I think it would be us, and us having that self-doubt, and that's what our biggest issue is. At the same time, there are strong opportunities in reaching underserved communities with accessible financial education. We work with people dealing with a lot of disparities, including unhoused individuals receiving VA assistance, and we offer them financial courses to help get them back on track. This kind of community-based financial literacy work represents a real opportunity to make an impact.

The values most important to me in my work and personal life are service, empowerment, and making sure people feel seen and valued. I'm really big on knowing our members by name, speaking with them, engaging with them so that they know that we care. That's a part of our service promises - treating our members like trusted friends. I wanted us to embody those service promises, and knowing that the membership over on this side of town deals with a lot of disparities, I felt that it was important for them to know that we see them, we hear them, we value them, and this is what we're here for. We have a job because of them. I'm really big on morale and culture, and I feel that creating supportive, inclusive environments for both my teams and the communities we serve is central to everything I do. I also value lifting others up and creating pathways for people to access financial knowledge and resources, particularly for individuals who may not traditionally have that access.