What our community is saying
“Cynthia strives to make students feel seen and heard. I have appreciated the deep respect, understanding, and sensitivity used to organize and facilitate the financial literacy sessions. Also, there is an openness to tailor sessions to the unique needs of our TRIO students.”
— Lorena Valdez, Deputy Director
UC Berkeley TRIO Student Support Services
“Definitely would recommend this programming to other programs, institutions, and high schools. The point of view Cynthia provides is relatable and understandable. She has shared experiences with BIPOC communities and is fully aware of the inequalities that exist when it comes to financial challenges. I will be sure to share Cynthias programming widely and advocate for more financial literacy for younger grade levels.”
— Agustin Vasquez Lopez- Director , Alliance GEAR UP
More Community Partner Feedback
-
"Cynthia Diaz at Financial Space did a fantastic webinar for my CSUDH McNair Scholars on Building Wealth. Cynthia's 60-minute presentation was interactive, engaging and she provided a digital workbook for the students. Her materials and presentation were high-quality and reflected her professionalism. Cynthia also made finance fun for the students! Our scholars appreciated that she spoke about the misconceptions and lack of access to knowledge around building wealth, especially for first-generation college students. Cynthia taught the students the importance of retirement plans and explained different types of investments to "put their money to work." The students were so interested and appreciated financial information that showed them how to begin. My students had so many questions for Cynthia, and I felt great about the honest answers for them! As a McNair TRIO director, I want my students to advance in their education, careers and have wellness in their lives, including financial security. I love the topics Cynthia has put together for students and scheduled a 5-part series to develop "Finance Fridays" with my scholars! Cynthia understands our students, and her workshops are a great addition to my McNair curriculum. I highly recommend Cynthia Diaz at Financial Space!"
Dr. Michelle Martinez, Director
CSUDH McNair Scholars Program
-
I would recommend Financial Space to other TRIO Administrators. Cynthia is passionate about her work and she cares about the community. Our students were engaged throughout the entire session and they look forward to learning more about personal finance. Personal finance can be an overwhelming and new topic for first gen students. Most who have never discussed these topics with their own families. Cynthia made it a point to recognize that communities of color have been historically disadvantaged which impacts their socioeconomic status. She made students feel comfortable and offered them a safe space to engage with the content. Students learned new key terms and developed the skills to budget. The quiz questions were an effective way to teach students new concepts. The presentation went great. I wish we could cover more topics in one session since it's such valuable information. However, I understand it can be overwhelming for students to digest so many new concepts. We are extremely content with the session. We hope your business reaches many more first gen students. Your contributions will help our communities break generational cycles of poverty. We appreciate your work!
Stephanie Hernandez, Project Manager
Partnership Scholars Program
-
Cynthia has a relatable approach that is welcoming and grasps the attention of our students. Her communication platform allows students to freely interact without feeling overwhelmed. For instance, she uses an app that allows students to ask questions, rather than singling them out during her presentations. My experience is no matter if you are the student or adminstrator, all are able to learn something new in Cynthia's financial literacy presentation. Which is really awesome, because we are able to share the information with other students who may have not been able to attend.
Tranisha Blackwell, Educational Program Coordinator TRIO SSS
University of Bridgeport
-
I really appreciated the structure of the presentation. It was engaging and leaned into answering the questions our students had. Cynthia did a good job of balancing the materials to cover as well as pausing to answer questions. Having the chat as well as the menti were beneficial. It allowed students to interact even if they were a little timid to post in the chat. Also, I appreciated the additional resources to students after the presentation. This will help them to continue to grow in their knowledge and confidence with their credit building.
Jon DeWitt, Assistant Director of Student and Family Connections
University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
-
I would 100% recommend Financial Space to similar programs focused on student development. Our students loved to hear from Cynthia and appreciated the open space to talk about finances, especially as first generation college students who unfortunately do not have equal access to this information. Cynthia does a great job of relating to our students through interactive content and dialogue. As an administrator myself, I learned a lot along with my staff and students. I appreciated the space for all of us to ask questions and follow up with anything covered throughout our week-long event. The content was easy to follow along and broken down for beginners like myself.
Dyana Lazo, College Success Manager
GEAR UP Alliance
-
The Financial Space Team is amazing. Everything went well - from the actual presentations to the behind-the-scenes communication, it was a fantastic experience! The presenters were knowledgeable and inclusive, the material was relevant, and the students gained a ton of insight and education!
Ashleen Knutson, Academic Specialist TRIO SSS
The College of St. Scholastica
-
All of our participants really appreciated how personable the facilitators were and their level of expertise. Even with the brief time for each breakout the facilitators provided great content that gave participants key takeaways to move forward with their financial goals! It was a wonderful presentation! The session was very engaging which we don't see in all of our virtual programming. The level of preparation, flexibility, knowledge, presentation engagement, and authenticity were palpable throughout the entire experience. It's difficult to find leaders that have all of those things.
Dania Castro
Senior Manager, Alumni Affairs
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute
“Cynthia and Dyana's presentation was engaging, informative, and their energy shined through their delivery. Our students of color and from marginalized communities were able to relate to the information presented and received it a lot better from folks that look like them or have similar backgrounds. I would highly recommend to any organization, educators, school, etc.!”
— Katherine Monterroso, Director A Place Called Home
FAQs
-
Yes! We are based in Los Angeles but travel to different partner institutions if a program would like an in-person event.
-
All of our programming is completely customizable. Most of our workshops are structured in a 60-minute format, but we've done 90-minute, 3-hour bootcamps, as well as multi-day events for summer programs. We customize according to your needs.
-
Whether virtual or in-person, our live workshops are designed to be interactive and fun! We keep students engaged by integrating:
Anonymous poll feature which allows students to participate and share their stories anonymously.
Live activities where students work on deliverables so they can begin taking action immediately.
Community discussions where students are encouraged to share their fears and hopes as they relate to money.
-
Yes! All of our content is completely customizable. We understand every program is different, so we want to make sure we are speaking to student needs.