November 5, 2026
WHITE BEAR LAKE, Minn. – Royal Credit Union (Royal) joined White Bear Lake Area High School on Thursday, November 5, for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the new student-run credit union location. The event brought together school and district leaders, Royal representatives, student tellers and community partners to mark a new chapter in the organizations’ partnership. During the celebration, Royal presented $1,000 to White Bear Lake Area Education Foundation to support the Career Pathways program's Employability Skills initiative. The investment will help the school expand efforts focused on workplace skills such as communication, professionalism, teamwork, and problem-solving.
The new location creates an opportunity for students to learn about financial services from their peers while giving student tellers meaningful workplace experience. In addition to serving their classmates at the high school, the student tellers work at Royal’s White Bear Lake and Hugo offices, allowing them to strengthen professional skills in a real-world setting. Beyond day-to-day financial services, the school site serves as another avenue for Royal and White Bear Lake Area High School to connect students with practical financial education through activities, promotions, and structured programming.
“Opening this student-run credit union is an exciting milestone in Royal’s partnership with White Bear Lake Area Schools,” said Brandon Riechers, Royal President and CEO. “This location creates opportunities for students to build financial knowledge, gain valuable workplace experience, and develop skills they can carry with them well beyond high school.”
Royal’s partnership with White Bear Lake Area Schools also includes financial education experiences such as Test Drive... Next Stop Reality® and a focus on providing hands-on learning opportunities that support career readiness.
"Our students aren't simply studying financial literacy or learning about careers in banking; they are operating a real credit union here on our campus," says Russ Reetz, White Bear Lake Area High School Principal. "They are developing professional skills, building relationships, solving problems, and providing a service to their peers."
White Bear Lake Area High School joins Royal’s long-standing School $ense program, which began in 1993 and now includes 31 student-run credit union locations in elementary, middle and high schools. The program reflects Royal’s core purpose of creating a positive impact in the lives it touches and its ongoing commitment to the communities it serves.
To learn more about Royal’s financial education programs, visit Royal's Financial Education Page at rcu.org/FinEd.
About Royal Credit Union
Royal Credit Union is a federally insured credit union proudly serving over 340,000 Members in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Royal is driven by a core ideology built on a strong purpose and values. Royal was recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Best-In-State Credit Unions 2026 in Wisconsin and Minnesota. You can open an account or apply for a low-rate loan at Royal Credit Union if you live or work in 26 counties in western Wisconsin or 16 counties in Minnesota. Counties served in Wisconsin include Adams, Ashland, Bayfield, Barron, Buffalo, Burnett, Chippewa, Clark, Douglas, Dunn, Eau Claire, Jackson, Lincoln, Marathon, Pepin, Pierce, Polk, Portage, Price, Rusk, Sawyer, St. Croix, Taylor, Trempealeau, Washburn, and Wood. Counties served in Minnesota include Anoka, Carver, Chisago, Dakota, Goodhue, Hennepin, Isanti, Olmsted, Pine, Ramsey, Scott, Sherburne, Wabasha, Washington, Winona and Wright. A complete list of Member eligibility requirements is available on the Royal Credit Union website. To learn more about Royal, visit rcu.org or call 800-341-9911.
