Rapid developments in technology have led to a growing number of people—and financial institutions—depending on the convenience of online and mobile banking. While convenience is beneficial for business, many people still want to trust and feel supported by the organizations that hold some of their most valuable assets. This makes personal connections with members more important than ever before for community-driven institutions like credit unions. It is this commitment to connection and community that led Magali Garcia-Pletsch to join the Merrimack Valley Credit Union (MVCU) family.
Originally from Laredo, TX, Magali traded the desert for Rhode Island more than 15 years ago and is proud to be both from a border town (Laredo is on U.S. – Mexico border) and a New Englander. After she earned her master’s degree in education from the University of Pennsylvania, Magali was interested in working for an organization that prioritized connecting children and teens with resources and opportunities that support their success. She found this mission in the Waltham Partnership for Youth (WPY), which she joined as director of programs and operations in 2021. In 2024, Magali was promoted to executive director.
“At WPY, our mission is to collaborate with youth, families and partner organizations—including MVCU—to address longstanding systemic inequities while building a community of belonging and opportunity for Waltham youth,” says Magali. “And that last part, creating a community that fosters belonging and opportunity, is truly our tag line and a role that we take very seriously.”
Magali says that WPY aims to “close the opportunity gap,” which means creating opportunities for adolescents to take advantage of the cultural, educational, economic and professional resources that the vibrant community of Waltham has to offer. “We play the role of a connector by helping young people benefit from local resources, and by partnering with outside businesses to support our workforce development program that creates summer internships for high school students.”
MVCU became a proud sponsor of WPY in 2015 and has since supported the organization with annual donations and participation in their community events and fundraisers including the Ready, Set, Job! career conference, annual Partner Celebration, Trivia for a Cause and more. The credit union has also welcomed several interns through the WPY, who received valuable professional experience and career guidance.
The partnership between MVCU and WPY is what inspired Magali to open an account with the credit union. She had previously only utilized banks for financial needs, but she says that she became interested after hearing several positive experiences from WPY students who interned at MVCU.
“Through our internship program, I had several students share such positive experiences interning at the credit union,” Magali says. She also gave a direct shoutout to MVCU Regional Manager Kevin Zipps, saying that he “attended our events and showed that he really wanted to be there and engage with our students. When I started to think about opening an account with a credit union, I thought, ‘I feel so supported by this credit union in my professional world, I’ll open an account there.’ MVCU’s engagements in our community encouraged me to become a member.”
Now a member of the credit union community and an organization that supports and uplifts local youth, Magali stresses the important roles that financial institutions play in our communities—from supporting organizations like WPY and promoting financial education for people of all ages.
“Financial institutions that have such strong local roots are incredibly important funders for organizations like ours,” she says. “Folks like MVCU see the work being done firsthand and understand our positive impact on so many kids and families. Additionally, credit unions have the power to make financial education resources more localized and accessible for students who may not understand important concepts like loans and credit scores, which is central to supporting their career and life journeys.”
WPY primarily works with high school students aged 14 to 19 but is expanding their programming for middle school students. For those interested in supporting the WPY, the organization is eager to partner with local businesses to create internship opportunities and welcome guest speakers to share their experiences at the organization’s career training events for students. Visit www.walthampartnershipforyouth.org to learn more and get involved.