Fifteen EHPS juniors and seniors are currently gaining valuable real-world financial and college readiness skills through UConn’s Fall 2026 Financial Literacy Innovation Program (FLIP).
FLIP brings high school students from communities across Connecticut to campus for six Saturday sessions through November. Through hands-on learning and exposure to companies and business leaders, students are exploring the fundamentals of personal finance, including budgeting, saving and investing, while gaining insight into college and career opportunities.
For EHHS Senior Sasha Walters, the program was appealing for several reasons. “I want to go into finance and accounting, so that made me interested, plus the stipend and the experience of being on a college campus. I was like this is going to be really cool,” said Walters.
Students receive a $35 stipend for each session, with the opportunity to earn up to $250 for completing all six sessions. Students who complete the program are also eligible for a $2,500-per-year scholarship, up to $10,000 total, if they enroll at UConn.
“I was so glad I signed up for it because the stuff I’m learning I would never know,” said EHHS Junior BellStar Brissett. “I hope to achieve better budgeting skills for when I go to college and even now, to have my financial situation organized before I go into college, so I’m prepared.”
The participating students are Ethan Johnson, Joshua Nieves, Julian Johnson, Kalina Lawrence-Clais, Khimaniy Foster, Matthias Mardales, Othniella Agyemang, Pavan Kumar Pillapalem and Thomas Herisson from CIBA and Amelia McDaniel, Ayanna Essien, BellaStar Brissett, MarKee Vallett, Michelle Florian, and Sasha Walters from East Hartford High School.