Harahan, LA (November 3, 2025) |
Luminate and the Luminate Foundation are proud to announce the recipients of their annual CUDE Scholarship Program. This scholarship program is an initiative of the Luminate Foundation as well as Luminate’s Young Professionals Network.
The applications were reviewed by a panel of industry experts with extensive knowledge of the CUDE program.
This year’s scholarship recipients are Lauren Callihan of Meritus Credit Union and Shelby Benson of CSE Federal Credit Union.
Each recipient will receive a scholarship to attend The National Credit Union Foundation’s (NCUF) Development Education (CUDE) Program. As the signature program of the NCUF, CUDE builds awareness of the development issues that prevent people from achieving financial freedom and how credit unions are uniquely positioned to address them.
“The CUDE program has the ability to transform why we choose the credit union difference for our careers. I am excited that Lauren & Shelby get to explore how they can identify and breakdown roadblocks to help improve the financial health of their members and communities,” said Lynette Hazelton, Director of Impact and Foundation.
Callihan, Director of Marketing & Community Impact, has earned her Certified Credit Union Marketing Executive (CCUME) and Certified Credit Union Financial Counselor (CCUFC) designations in the last four years. Her continued accomplishments include being recognized as a CU Rockstar in 2017 and serving as a GAC Crash Mentor for the last seven years. She is committed to using her leadership to connect diverse communities and foster relationships that benefit both Meritus CU and the individuals they serve. Callihan will be attending the October 2026 program in Madison, WI.
Benson, Training Manager, holds a Certified Credit Union Facilitator (CCUF) designation and SalesCU Trainer certification, and is constantly improving the onboarding process and the New Hire Orientation at CSE FCU. By earning her CUDE designation, she will be better equipped for updating and leading their brand and culture trainings. Benson will be attending the June 2026 program in Madison, WI.
More than 2,500 people from dozens of countries have graduated from the U.S. CUDE program since its launch in 1982. Through our scholarship program in Louisiana, we are excited to continue to grow the number of CUDE graduates in our state.
