Breaking through: These classes go beyond dollars and cents
BBVA Compass is proud to celebrate those who help others develop healthy money habits. The bank’s own Carla Tessman is certainly deserving of such celebration. She teaches financial education classes at Houston’s Harris County Jail to prepare female inmates for a future beyond bars.
“These women have made a mistake in their lives, but they have the opportunity to change,” Tessman said. “I tell them my own story. I’m a single mother of a 14-year-old girl. I’ve had financial problems, too. I tell them: No matter how successful you think I am, it’s not about that. It’s just the way you face life and issues.”
These women have made a mistake in their lives, but they have the opportunity to change
Tessman is a volunteer financial instructor with The Women’s Resource of Greater Houston. She teaches personal finance classes to women in the Mentoring Moms program, a re-entry program at the jail that connects pregnant women with services on the outside upon their release. The Women’s Resource relies on volunteers and partnerships with organizations like BBVA Compass to accomplish its mission of helping women become independent, productive, and financially stable.
Tessman says she’s grateful for the opportunity to give back.
“I’m just giving back to society a part of what I receive. And, for me, it’s an honor having the opportunity to teach them,” she said.
