Nov. 5, 2012

DALLAS (SMU)- Blake Cecil, SMU Alumnus and Vice President of Merrill Lynch Global Wealth Management, and Kristopher Lowe, SMU's Associate Athletics Director for Business, spoke about the importance of financial literacy at Ponies 2 `Stangs seminar on Sunday, Nov. 4 in the Hall of Champions.

Ponies 2 `Stangs is a life skills seminar series for freshmen student-athletes at SMU. The main objective is to engage participants in interactive learning experiences that challenge their notions about college life, while addressing various issues faced by first-year student-athletes.

Cecil's presentation focused on budgeting and goal setting. He provided a simple approach to credit and debt, and stressed the importance of establishing good credit early. He also touched on savings and the impact of starting at an early age.

An SMU alumnus and former basketball standout, Lowe shared his personal journey from his time as a student-athlete at SMU to becoming the Chief Financial Officer for the department. He expressed the challenges he faced as a student-athlete on a budget and provided useful tips and advice. He also conveyed the "lifelong" value of a scholarship.

The intimate atmosphere allowed for those in attendance to interact directly with the presenters.

The next Ponies 2 `Stangs presentation will take place on Sunday, Nov. 18, and will address diversity and relationships.