CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WAND) - Money... it's a topic many shy away from. But, University of Illinois students are running straight into the topic. Thanks to a new course, women are talking more about money and advocating for their financial futures. 

With every page she reads and every word she types, Junior Bianca Voss is stepping into her power. "I wanted to feel empowered in my studies and I wanted to learn more about women in investing women in finance." Voss is diving into the world of finance through a new course at the U of I simply titled, 'Women, Money, and Power.' The conversation about money is the course's driving force.

One of the lecturers and Managing Partner at Tenet Wealth Partners, Daly Andersson, tells WAND, the topic of money is hard to speak about. "It is an emotional topic regardless of gender. It's something that can really suck the oxygen out of the room. It's taboo to discuss it." But, it's a discussion Bianca Voss says is needed. Voss saying, "it's super important to have these conversations and to educate ourselves. Not only about personal finance, but how to take care of our loved ones and our family."

The new course is changing the conversation around money, offering some girl power kick to it. "It's changing the conversation...a lot of women are interested in managing their wealth in having that financial security and independence," Andersson says. 'Women, Money, and Power' talks about women negotiating, advocating for themselves, addressing challenges unique to them, investing; this is just to name a few of the topics outlined in the semester-long course. 

Presley Fee, the Digital Financial Planning Coordinator, says the course is also teaching women to use their voice. "One of the big things that we're talking to the students about is to get comfortable asking the uncomfortable questions." And those uncomfortable questions are the ones Voss could not wait to ask. "I immediately went home and registered for the course," Voss says regarding when she first saw the course offering online.

Voss is now one of many taking drastic steps toward her financial future, while also making sure men can have a seat at the table too. "I have felt empowered in my classes to learn as much as my male counterparts,' Voss says. As they learn together, they're changing the conversation and empowering the next generation of women in finance. 

Voss tells WAND, "this class reaches so many people and I think it's amazing that as we talk about women and money and women in workforce, that this conversation isn't just for women, it's about men, it's about everyone else and how they can be allies to women in the workforce." 

The course is open to any student and is online as on April 8th, 2022. 

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