Stocha Scranton Email & Phone Number

“Live like you are going to die tomorrow, but invest like you are going to live forever.” – Dave RamseyAs anyone familiar with the financial industry might know, this quote relates to investing money into retirement funds so that someday, one can “live and give like no one else” (another famous Ramsey quote). What if we looked at this introspectively? What if we invested in ourselves, our professional growth, as if we are going to live forever? What impact would this have on our lives, our careers, and our relationships? I’m a lifelong learner. I firmly believe in continuing education beyond any classroom. The great news is, learning can come from courses we take, sure, but more often than not, we learn from real world experiences. In my professional life, I have worked in many industries, from fast food, to retail, to nonprofit work. It was my time at my first CDFI that opened my eyes to the world of small business lending. I started as an operations assistant, handling day-to-day tasks like answering the phone, manning the front desk, and generally providing backup to the Director of Operations. When this director, one of the best supervisors I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with, moved up in her career at another organization, I decided to dip my toes into the lending side of my company.I took on a role as an SBA loan closing specialist, something that suited me due to the immense amount of attention to detail one needs to have in order to be successful in that role. I learned a lot about SBA lending, as well as in-house small business loans. When I was ready, I moved onto another CDFI to be a servicing specialist. There, I picked up more skills – more analytics, more management of loans, and a deeper understanding of small businesses and how they operate. Now, I have found a role at my third CDFI that combines the experiences I’ve been through with the knowledge I’ve gained. As a portfolio manager, I get to see firsthand how small businesses are doing, further solidifying my appreciation for how these entrepreneurs serve as the backbone of the American economy. The resilience is unparalleled, especially as the world continues to recover from a pandemic that shut down everything for so long. All this is to say that it is my goal to continue investing in myself, not only for my personal and professional growth, but also for the growth of any organization I work with. I plan to take more courses (offered internally through my company and via outside platforms like Udemy), build my skillset, and make my way into the mortgage lending world.