Gables is a school that offers countless opportunities to students with every imaginable interest; students can showcase their abilities through clubs, sports, and now, through the Cavalier Credit Union. The Union serves as a bank with low borrowing interest and is available for all of Miami-Dade employees, students and their immediate family. The Cavalier Credit Union first opened in 2011 and is in fact, a branch of the South Florida Educational Federal Credit Union (SFEFCU), which offers free online banking, debit and ATM cards. The walk-in opening hours for the Gables Branch are 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Mondays and Tuesdays.

In order to open an account at the Cavalier Credit Union, a five dollar deposit must be made and students must present their Social Security Number, School ID number and another form of identification. Accounts are accessible immediately after they are created. Opening an account at the Gables branch is not only convenient, but also beneficial for students who join. Students who have had an account open for a year or longer could win a full scholarship into any Florida school of their desire. Also, the Credit Union encourages students to join by offering reduced value movie tickets.

“While working at the Union, students engage in work based learning, they apply what they have learned in class such as making deposits and creating new accounts,” lead teacher of the Academy of Finance Mrs. Carranza said.

The Academy of Finance (AOF) at Gables is part of the National Academy of Finance, whose main goal is to prepare students for professional success in their futures. Students in the AOF are required to complete a 150-hour internship in their junior year as a graduation requirement. The Cavalier Credit Union offers these students an opportunity to fulfill their graduation requirements while simultaneously being submerged in a real-life work environment. Students that complete an internship at the Cavalier Credit Union receive an honors credit that is transferrable to their transcripts. Students evidently enjoy being immersed in a work environment that most teenagers usually do not have the opportunity to encounter.

“[The best part of the internship] is learning skills and techniques a normal sixteen-year-old would not usually be learning such as bank telling and accounting” junior Alexandra Herrera said.

The Cavalier Credit Union will officially open during the first week of October for the 2014-2015 school year. Students at Gables will have the opportunity to become familiarized with the financial world, and the families of teachers and students will be able to access a hassle-free, low interest bank account. There is certainly no excuse not to open an account at the Cavalier Credit Union!