Applicant #11: Mackenna Roth

Mackenna Roth is a 22-year-old from Delaware.

Mackenna's video application:

Mackenna online:

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+ Facebook page

Mackenna's current situation:

Hey Ontario! My name is Mackenna Roth and I am a proud country girl! I have spent my whole life growing up on a farm outside of London Ontario in a small town called Delaware! And it has taught me many important lessons, like saving for a rainy day.

I have just recently graduated from a very unique program at the University of Western Ontario specializing in Media Studies. For the past four years I have attended both university and college, at the same time! Talk about planning! I specialized in motion graphics, video editing, 3D animation and print design. It was a whole different world from growing up on the farm, but I love being involved with cutting edge technology!

It wasn’t until last year when I was a Queen of the Furrow that I learned I love to talk in front of people and promote brands. I had the opportunity to represent my county as the 2010 Middlesex Queen of the Furrow. This amazing adventure allowed my to share my passion of agriculture with people all around Ontario and improved my public speaking ability immensely. I even had the chance to be on the Rick Mercer Report in September telling Canada about the crazy girls who wear crowns and drive tractors! This learning experience has helped me in the next step in my career in Public Relations, and I am hoping that being apart of the Young and Free Ontario program will further my ever expanding desire to try everything!

My favorite quote that keeps me going: “Whether you say you can or you can’t your always right…. It’s your decision!”

Come learn more about me on my Facebook page, Twitter account or check out my videos on YouTube!

I can’t wait for the opportunity to represent my credit union for the Voice of Young and Free Ontario 2011!

Mackenna's blog post:

Life as a (almost) Debt Free Undergrad

As a university student trying to balance school, work, extracurriculars, farm chores, some weekend down time and my finances were sometimes overwhelming. I had so many questions that I needed answered, like:
-Do I take OSAP?
-How do I pay it back?
-How can I save, with out missing out on the fun parts of university life?
-What is a Tax Free Savings Account? Should I have one?
-These increases in gas prices are ruining my budget!!

Lucky for me I had a libro coach to show me the ropes and navigate through those tough years. I have learned so much about managing my money that I can realistically say, “I’m planning to buy my first house in the next two years!”. And I know my Libro coach will help me through that next phase in my life as well.

It dawned on me one day during a study break that I was living young and free, when a fellow graduating student starting talking about all the debt she was going to have when we both graduated in a mere few weeks. Let’s do a quick comparison!

I competed a three-year undergrad and a two-year diploma in 4 years – my tuition was about $8,000 more then the typically 4-year program. I had to pay everything myself and I lived 40 minutes away from campus so I had to find a way to get there!

My fellow student was gradating from a 3-year undergrad program and was moving to Toronto to take another 2-year program at college. At the time we were talking she had a whopping $37,000 of debt to her name! I couldn’t believe it! And she was in a position where her parents were able to pay her tuition for her.

She was quick to point out that I must have not had a social life because I had so little debt to show. I quickly told her that I have had everything I wanted for the last four years. I brought a motorcycle, a jeep, and a horse, went on vacations to the sunny south and was able to spend time with my friends. It was the small choices that added up over time that allowed me to live the Young and Free lifestyle.

When I started university I had two goals, graduate and be debt free. Now that I am done my undergrad, my second goal of being debt free by the time I was done is so close at hand!

Being a university student and setting financial goals that you want to achieve is totally possible. It’s all in the way you think!

Mackenna