Scott Asbell is a man with a plan. He’s currently studying Business Management with a concentration in Entrepreneurship at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. But Scott already had experience running a business long before he ever stepped foot on the JMU campus. For the last two years he attended Lakeland High School in Suffolk, he operated his own screen printing company.
“Next year I’ll be living off campus so I’m going to bring my screen printing gear up with me,” says Scott. “I haven’t decided if I’m going to run a printing company or a clothing line yet, but those are some ideas.”
In addition to his artistic efforts, Scott knows a little something about leadership and fundraising. As part of his youth group, he initiated and organized two benefit concerts over the last two years titled “Stopping Traffic.” The money raised aided non-profit organizations around the world that work to secure justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression.
“The benefits were made up of local bands that volunteered their time and the concerts were held at the Westminster Reformed Presbyterian Church in Suffolk,” explains Scott. “Last year we donated all of the proceeds from the concert and T-shirt sales to the International Justice Mission.” International Justice Mission lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local governments to ensure victim rescue, prosecute their perpetrators and encourage communities to promote functioning public justice systems.
Based on these accomplishments and others, and because he is a Bronco member, Scott was honored with one of three $5,000 Bronco scholarships awarded in 2010.
“I think having a well-rounded resume is good, but it’s not all about the quantity of stuff you do; I think it’s more about the quality,” says Scott. “It’s not about how many clubs or teams you’re on; it’s about how well you do at those clubs and how dedicated you are to each of your team activities.”
When we caught up with Scott to interview him for this article, he had just finished mid-term exams and was home for Spring Break. You would think that after all of his hard studies, he’d be ready for a little rest and relaxation. But instead of joining thousands of other students headed for exotic locales, he opted instead to work with his dad to earn some extra money. “My dad is a contractor and at the moment we’re in the process of demolishing a couple of bathrooms,” says Scott. But it isn’t all bad: “Demolishing stuff is always the best.”
Obviously the product of a good financial education, Scott opened savings and checking accounts when he was 16 so he could get a debit card and eventually have a place for all his extra scholarship money. “A lot of scholarships, like the Bronco money I received, go directly to the university you are attending,” says Scott. “But I also got a few checks that were made out to me. I had some of that money in a subsavings account for a while, but this summer right before I went to college, I decided I didn’t want it sitting in a low-interest account when I could be earning more. So I opened four certificates of deposits with Bronco as well.”
All of us at Bronco are excited to hear about the progress Scott is making and to see him continue to develop as a smart money manager. He apparently feels the same way about us. “I think the people at Bronco are all very friendly and very helpful. I usually talk to Diane Johnson at the Suffolk branch and she is always really informative. She’s the one who helped me get my debit card set up and helped me with my certificates of deposit. She’s been really great and I’d recommend her and all of the great people at Bronco to anyone.”
