Dominique Villasenor
Masters in Public Affairs, UW-Madison
I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Carolina this past year (2023-2024). Before coming to UW-Madison, I worked full-time at a biotech company that offered a 401(k). At that time, I didn’t fully grasp the concept of retirement and overlooked the benefits my company provided. Meeting Carolina was instrumental in helping me understand how to manage my finances and the importance of comprehending workplace benefits. With her advice and support, I acquired an airline credit card to maximize points from everyday purchases, easing the costs of holiday travel to visit family. Even after graduation, Carolina continues to guide me through understanding my new job’s salary and benefits. Transitioning from a graduate student stipend to a well-paying full-time position can be overwhelming. Graduate school teaches financial frugality and budgeting within limited means. What I appreciate most about Carolina is her ability to empathize with my financial concerns as a first-generation Latina student. Her support alleviates my stress about financial literacy. Because of her, I now feel confident investing in stocks through my Roth IRA to secure my retirement fund and future financial stability.
Marienela Heredia
Cellular & Molecular Pathology graduate student and member of their DEI Committee at UW-Madison
I have learned so much with Carolina throughout our financial coaching sessions! It’s been really eye-opening to experiment and figure out what works best for me in terms of taking control of my finances and staying motivated to achieve my personal goals. Carolina is such a wealth of personal finance knowledge and super fun to work with – from budgeting to debt management to investing in the future, she’s got a ton of tips and tricks up her sleeve! I would recommend Finances with Carolina to anyone ready to take the next step toward developing productive and positive personal finance habits.
Vanessa Barragan
Neuroscience graduate student at Emory University
I attended one of Carolinas workshops at Emory University where she discussed concepts like retirement, investing and my personal favorite…compound interest! Carolinas patience and teaching skills made these topics digestible and left me wanting to learn more. My graduate school graciously purchased a couple of 1 on 1 sessions which allowed me to meet with her and ask more questions. I have since opened a Roth IRA account that has automatic monthly investments and most importantly I have learned how to manage my money so that I can meet all of my financial goals! I will always remember Carolina as the person that taught me about financial responsibility and control. I highly recommend her!
Yasmine Bassil
Neuroscience graduate student and former member of the DEI Committee at Emory University
Carolina has been an incredibly helpful resource to me as it pertains to organizing and planning finances in graduate school. As she was once a graduate student herself, she understands first-hand the challenges of financial planning on a graduate student stipend, which lends to her being incredibly helpful and resourceful as a financial coach. She has helped me put together reasonable financial plans for budgeting, contributing to retirement funds, and adding into high-yield savings accounts, narrowing down options to reduce decision-making fatigue. Carolina is also very compassionate, understanding, and flexible when it comes to working with individuals 1-on-1, understanding how perspectives on finances vary based on personal experiences and is very flexible in adjusting strategies to work with each individual client. I would 100% recommend her to anyone who asked!
Camille Trautman
Neuroscience graduate student and member of the DEI Committee at Emory University
Carolina did a phenomenal job presenting a workshop on improving finances while in graduate school! She focused on budgeting, saving for retirement, and investing from the point of view of a current graduate student. Carolina understands how limited resources are for graduate students and ensured that the recommendations given took that into account. Thanks so much for a wonderful workshop, Carolina!
Mari Rocha
Neuroscience graduate student and member of the DEI Committee at Emory University
Working with Carolina has helped me, as a graduate student from a low-income background, develop a healthier relationship with finances. Carolina’s own experiences as a graduate student guide have guided her expertise, demonstrated by her sessions tailored specifically for graduate students with limited income. Working with Carolina, I’ve opened a retirement account, a high-yield savings account and have paid off the majority of my credit card debt. Throughout our meetings, I’ve felt supported by Carolina and my fears surrounding money. I highly recommend Finances with Carolina LLC for personal coaching and for graduate programs seeking tangible and impactful ways to support their students.
Sofia Romero
Microbiology PhD, UW-Madison
Carolina is truly passionate about teaching graduate students on how we can expand our financial potential. Carolina has a natural talent for communicating complex concepts in a simple and easy to understand manner. She was the first to make the effort to open conversations about money for current grad students and has made preparing for taxes a little less daunting. Carolina has helped me, and others learn more about how to invest in retirement funds, strategically use credit cards, process for obtaining a car loan, and mortgage all while in grad school. I’m excited for the expansion of Carolina’s business in financial coaching for students.
Katie Barnes
Microbiology graduate student at UW-Madison
Working with Carolina has been seriously life changing for me. I first attended Carolina’s monthly workshops for a Money Club that she founded as a graduate student at UW-Madison, where I learned about how to improve my personal relationship with money. When I heard that Carolina was making her own company, “Finances with Carolina, LLC”, I was excited to receive a personalized conversation on how to manage my money more effectively as a graduate student. Since our first coaching session, I have started a retirement account, savings account, and started investing. Besides these tangible outcomes of our meetings, I also feel so much more confident in my ability to explore and discuss money management. I highly encourage my peers in graduate school to seek Financial Coaching with Carolina!
Neydis Moreno
Biophysics graduate student at UW-Madison
Thanks to Carolina, I feel back in control of my budget and capable of making progress towards my financial goals. As a graduate student I don’t make a glamorous amount of money, I had a vague idea of what I was spending but I lacked direction on my goals. I was afraid to look at my spending and analyze my budget. Over the last few months with Carolina’s encouragement and resources I was able to deal with the sometimes difficult emotions when it comes to the topic of money, tracked my spending and made a realistic and self-first oriented budget. I’ve started thinking about my financial future ie. investing and retirement, and I am excited. Carolina provided that extra accountability that I needed and she felt safe to talk to because I knew she had encountered similar issues as a recent graduate. I would highly recommend Finances with Carolina LLC, for personal coaching and as a workshop presenter.