BROOMALL, Pa. – What better way to honor Credit Union Youth Week than to recognize those devoted to educating students on how to be financially savvy consumers? Franklin Mint Federal Credit Union has hosted the first Partners in Learning banquet to celebrate education and award scholarships. "This evening is about celebrating and recognizing, both financial education and academic achievement, and those who make it happen," said FMFCU Assistant Vice President/Director of Education Rick Durante. One of the evening's highlights was naming the 2006 Financial Literacy Advocate- Interboro High School Business Education Teacher Margaret Wanger. She was honored for being a financial literacy "trailblazer" who was instrumental in helping to open FMFCU's first student-operated branch. Business teachers, Rita Deitrich, Springfield High School and Anthony Fortuna, Upper Darby High School also were recognized for their commitment to financial literacy. Each volunteers as a liaison, who works with FMFCU, their school's student-operated branch and school district. Recognizing that the student-operated branches at Interboro, Upper Darby and Springfield High Schools wouldn't be what they are without the commitment from the student member service representatives, student workers were also praised. The following students were recognized and presented with a plaque: Daniela Koci, Ian Lynch, Ida Eckhardt, Mark DiNapoli, Matt Hawkins, Mike Sheils, and Steven Aikens (all from Interboro High School); Anthony Sciandra, Bonnie Tress, Davinder Pal Singh, Julie Caufield, Lewis Miller, Marcia Dorley, Michael Thilker, Natasia Pascoe, Quynh Nguyen, Sarah Antolini, Shannon Donnelly, Steven Lonergan and Thuy-Duong Lou (all from Upper Darby High School) and Bill Horan, Brian Dawson, Cara Ripoli, Chris D'Anjolell, Gina Raffa, Joseph Winkler, Michael Tolvaisa, Phil Sabato, Robert Rowntree and Ryan Roby (all from Springfield High School). In addition, student branch council presidents Matthew Hawkins, Sarah Antolini, and Phil Sabato were each presented with the Student Branch Leadership award for providing exemplary guidance in their branch and school insight to credit union officials. The evening ended on a high note when high school seniors, Colleen DeFruscio, Kelly Anne Farrelly and Rachel Barrett were awarded the annual John D. Unangst Scholarship. A fourth scholarship, the John D. Unangst Interboro Scholarship, was awarded to Harry Chin III. Each winner received $1,500. "We believe it is important to recognize academic achievement and to provide students with a means to help them further their education. Our scholarship program allows us to do this," said FMFCU President/CEO John D. Unangst. Plans are underway to open two more FMFCU student-operated branches this fall at Penn Wood High School in Lansdowne and Strath Haven High School in Strath Haven.