Office of Financial Aid Student Panel
Mission:
The purpose of the Student Panel of the Office of Financial Aid shall be to promote financial fluency amongst Emory students creating a support system that will promote financial wellness. The objectives of the student panel are as follows: to provide workshop opportunities, connect students with staff, faculty, and alumni and other resources needed to further financial fluency, and to serve as a liaison between Financial Aid Advisors and Emory students.
Vision:
To educate students on how to take control of their finances, while providing a holistic understanding of financial wellness through student-centered advocacy, partnership and service.
Meet the Panel
Sumaya Beckles is a third-year student majoring in Biology with a minor in Sociology on the Pre-Med track. Her hometown is New York City, but she currently lives in Hackensack, New Jersey. After her short absence from the panel due to her study abroad program, Sumaya is back and excited to continue helping students learn more about their personal finances, promote financial responsibility, and be a friendly face to her peers can come to about financial literacy. On campus, she is currently the Fundraising Chair of BLIS, a member of Black is Gold Emory and a BioME Emory mentor.
Shemaelle Blanc is a business major, focusing on finance. In Philadelphia, she volunteers at her church to work with youth. She is on the executive board at Oxford Bread as a treasury. In the Oxford College library, she is a library leader and a Financial Literacy Peer Mentor! She joined the Financial Literacy team in the spring of 2022.
Ben Damon (Ox 23) is an Austin, Texas native and a second-year student on the pre-law track, currently double majoring in Philosophy, Politics, and Law and Economics. This is Ben's second year with Financial Literacy, and he hopes to continue his work connecting students with available resources and promoting financial wellness through one-on-one appointments and group presentations. On campus, Ben stays busy with budget oversight and accountability as the Student Government Association's Vice-President of Finance and works with the Student Admissions Association. In his free time, Ben can be found playing chess, ballroom dancing, lifting, or reading in a hammock on the Quad.
Makayla Francois is a first-gen, second-year, pre-nursing student from Boston. She is the membership chair for NAACP and the publicity chair for Ngambika. She is also a member of Black Is Gold, Health & Development in Guatemala (HDG), Collegiate Black Christians (CBC), Emory Quest Scholars, and a dancer for the Caribbean dance team Vibez. She enjoys spending time with friends and trying new restaurants around Atlanta during her free time. She is excited to continue her second year working with the financial aid office and providing financial literacy support to students on campus.
Mei Li Hart is a business major, with a concentration in finance. She has greatly enjoyed interning at a local non-profit assisting with their social media and outreach team. She is a Massachusetts native and loves watching the Patriots and playing soccer. Mei Li is a co-captain of the Oxford women's soccer team here on campus.
Khayriddin Muradov (OX ’23) is a second-year student from Chicago on a pre-BBA track planning to double major in Finance and Economics and Math. He is involved in Venture Capital and Financial Investment clubs on Oxford campus. During his free time, he enjoys playing basketball, chess, and martial arts. He looks forward to encouraging Emory students to make smart financial decisions and is always open to helping others with the process.
Indar Ramal (BBA '24) is a third-year student from Miami, FL concentrating in Marketing and OAM. During his time at Oxford, he was involved with OxFirst as well as ACSU. Now at Goizueta, he is involved with clubs like ALPFA and the Goizueta Marketing Club. In his free time, he enjoys going to the gym, playing video games, and spending time with his friends. Indar is really looking forward to educating and assisting people interested in financial literacy.
Meliyah Salvage was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She is a second-year student majoring in psychology on the pre-BBA track. Meliyah is the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion chair for Student Programming Council. She is also an Emory Student Ambassador/tour guide. During her free time, she enjoys creating content on socialmedia.
Abel Zurita is a first-year student majoring in the Arts and Sciences and minoring in Business with the intention of pursuing a career in the music industry. He is originally from Stamford, Connecticut and in his free time you will likely see him on the basketball court or socializing in the student center.This will be Abel's first year with the Financial Literacy Team and he is looking forward to supporting other students with their personal financial literacy journeys.