Student-run Gesa Credit Union opens inside Shadle Park High School

SPOKANE, Wash. — Students at Shadle Park High School can now do all their banking and start an account without ever needing to leave the campus.

The school’s new Gesa Credit Union drew big crowds during lunch period Thursday. It is a fully functional financial institution where students can manage their money and work with their peers.

“I think that walking into a bank and setting up an account is really intimidating,” said student branch manager and Shadle Park senior Ava Edgar. “Whenever students come in here, they see familiar faces, they see their friends who are interns and they’re able to answer questions and they can ask questions that they might be too afraid to ask an adult because they wouldn’t want to sound stupid.”

Students can start a special account that is designed to help them learn how to manage money.

“It has the guardrails to ensure that they are protected from overdraft. No associated fees, but it gives them actual products and services,” said the vice president of community impact at Gesa Credit Union Brandon Allison.

These products include a debit card and online banking.

The students working at the credit union get scholarship opportunities and hands-on experience handling money and creating marketing campaigns.

“It’s given me a lot of insight about how to talk to people and introduce products to them but also come up with a campaign that’ll get people interested and want to open up an account,” Edgar said.

The Shadle Park branch marks the third credit union within the Spokane Public School district, following the opening of Lewis and Clark HS on October 13 and North Central HS in October 2025. The credit union now has eight on campus locations across Spokane and Spokane Valley.

“We’re extremely grateful of our partnership with Spokane Public Schools. We’re very proud to add another program into their CTE programming to create yet another career pathway for students that didn’t exist before,” said Allison.

Gesa says Rogers and Ferris High Schools will be the next schools to see on-campus credit unions.