KeyBank and College Now share a long and impactful history, dating back to 1972! As an instrumental financial leader, partner in the community and unbelievably generous supporter of College Now, KeyBank is making postsecondary education more accessible for students in Northeast Ohio.

KeyBank’s commitment to opening doors one student at a time is evident in its current philanthropic investment through College Now’s KeyBank Xplore program. This program is one of several that College Now offers to students to explore careers in specific industries, centering the destination—the career that sparks passion—as the critical end.

Over 60 area high school students are participating in two sessions of KeyBank’s Xplore program this school year. On Saturdays in College Now’s downtown office, you’ll find these students researching business “meta majors,” or groupings of college majors needed in multiple facets of the business industry as well as meeting with and learning from professionals through site visits and workshops.

A “Money, Me, and Key®” workshop was the focus on Saturday, January 25, when KeyBank’s Tiffany Cardenas, Daniel Phillips, Wendy Skoch and Tina Tamburro conducted an engaging workshop, covering personal finance topics such as student loans, debt management, financial emergencies and budgeting, while also sharing insights into their personal career journeys. Many participants showed interest in owning their own business, so developing personal financial basics is imperative in the pathway to entrepreneurship.

As part of College Now’s KeyBank Xplore program, you’ll also find students out in the community, visiting LAND, Case Western Reserve University and Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business. On Saturday, February 22, KeyBank Xplore participants visited LAND, a Cleveland-area small business specializing in building e-motorcycles. Students spoke with the founder and CEO, Scott Colosimo, as well as with other LAND employees Evan Painter and Landon Spaw, about their respective career journeys, the highs and lows of working for a startup, and how to turn personal passion into a career.

Students will share their final research projects on April 26, showcasing the major and career they’ve identified with the most, potential postsecondary institutions offering that major and what life may look like for them after high school. KeyBank representatives will be there to congratulate students and offer parting words of advice as they continue their educational journey towards a career that sparks joy and provides a family sustaining wage.

This latest partnership with KeyBank is offering College Now-served students the opportunity to see beyond their current geography, beyond their current economic conditions, beyond their assumed limits and into a boundless future where they can achieve their full potential by way of a passion and career that they chose.