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Dena Jo Squyres, like a typical 16 year-old girl, enjoys hanging out with her friends, shopping and playing softball

Dena is a natural leader who plans to become a doctor. She knew that her parents could not afford the cost of college. “I wasn’t sure if it was possible to pay for college on my own and I had almost given up hope,” Dena admits. “However, now, thanks to the SEED program, I am well on my way to saving for college.”

Dena is part of SEED — Saving for Education, Entrepreneurship and Downpayment — a national initiative for young people managed by CFED to demonstrate the power of establishing savings accounts and financial education for every American child at birth.

Cherokee Nation offers 75 SEED accounts to American Indian students and teens in foster care in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Each accountholder received an initial deposit of $1,000, adds their own savings, and can earn another $1,000 in matched dollars and savings incentives. These savings can be used to pay for college, start a business or buy a home.

SEED has unleashed an entrepreneurial spirit in Dena and her fellow accountholders, who worked together to start an after-school business selling noisemakers and foam hands at athletic games. They have sold over $3,000 of inventory and started to turn a profit, which they will invest in their SEED accounts.

Dena has stepped up to share her SEED experience with national and state audiences, including a special task force appointed by the Oklahoma legislature.

Dena will be starting college a year early this fall to pursue her pre-medical degree. She attributes much of her success to the SEED program, stating “SEED helped me realize that I do have the skills to take control of my future.”