A few weeks ago, bankers Josh Brown and Vicki Laramore from the Buena Vista National Bank visited the Journalism class at CHS. We asked them questions about what they do and what students can do to be financially independent and successful.
When asked what traits and characteristics a good banker should have, Mr. Brown responded, “You have to be able to deal with all aspects of the public. Banking is a service industry. It’s a lot of customer-related and customer service. Be friendly, thoughtful, trustworthy, honest. Customers are trusting you with their money.” Both Mrs. Laramore and Mr. Brown acknowledged the importance of having good control of finances. Mrs. Laramore gave some advice on finances. “Start saving now. Continue to be a saver throughout your life. You’ll have a nest egg for emergencies. Start a savings account. You need to start building your credit. You can use your savings to do that.”
Mr. Brown and Mrs. Laramore stressed the importance of goal setting. With finances, especially at a young age, it’s important to start out strong. Mr. Brown stated that saving early can go a long way in the future, especially for college students. Mrs. Laramore stated that “If you are consistently putting the same amount of money aside, in a few weeks you will be used to the new amount of money and you won’t miss the amount that goes into savings. It is much easier to put away many small sums than to put away one large one.”
Mrs. Laramore also noted the importance of scholarships. “In this community, we are very fortunate with how many local scholarships there are, so take advantage of those. “I know it’s tedious to write the essays, but you find that if you write one essay you can tweak it, and it will apply to all of them.”

Another topic of discussion were student loans. Mrs. Laramore expresses that even if you aren’t eligible for a loan, you should still apply. She also stated that some loans can even help build your credit score, and that it isn’t always the end of the world if you don’t pay a loan on time. One of the big key points of the interview was just how important it is to start saving early on. Many unexpected expenses happen, and you always need to be prepared. Always have money set aside for emergencies. You don’t know when something unexpected, like an injury or a car repair, might happen.
Mr. Brown is currently the Vice President and Lender at BVNB, and Mrs. Laramore is currently the Assistant Vice President and Lender at BVNB. They both expressed how committed and devoted they themselves and the bank are to the city of Chester. Mrs. Laramore stated that “at Buena Vista National Bank we don’t offer a specific student loan program, but we have expert lenders at our bank that have experience with student loans. They would be happy to help any student navigate and figure out their best options.”
Mr. Brown and Mrs. Laramore gave some great advice on finances, goal setting, student loans. and encouraged students to come on down to Buena Vista National Bank, so that you can be ready for the future.