CUNA News
  • LOG IN
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • LOG IN
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • Topics
    • Community Service
    • Compliance
    • Credit Union Hero
    • Credit Union Rock Star
    • Credit Union System
    • Directors
    • Human Resources
    • Leadership
    • Lending
    • Marketing
    • Operations
    • Policy & Issues
    • Sales & Service
    • Technology
  • Credit Union Magazine
    • Buyers' Guide
    • COVID-19
    • Digital Edition
    • Credit Union Hero
    • Credit Union Rock Star
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Awards
    • Nominate Credit Union Hero
    • Nominate Credit Union Rock Star
  • Podcasts
  • Videos
  • Jobs
  • Contact

News

Home » PODCAST: Super Bowl-caliber commitment with Gian Paul Gonzalez
Podcast Management

PODCAST: Super Bowl-caliber commitment with Gian Paul Gonzalez

A credit union loan changed the GAC keynoter’s life, and now he inspires NFL champions and elite organizations.

January 26, 2018
No Comments
Gian Paul Gonzalez

The homicide occurred right in front of Gian Paul Gonzalez’s house.

It was the last straw for his parents, both youth pastors, who decided they needed to take their teenage son out of the crumbling environment around them in Union City, N.J.

Their first attempt at buying a home in a nearby city didn’t go well. A local bank declined their loan application, citing their family income. But a credit union came through for them.

“It was a credit union that didn’t just see my mom and dad as numbers, but chose to say, ‘You know what? You're making a difference in this community, and we honor that, and we want to help you work through that,'” Gonzalez tells the CUNA News Podcast.

If not for the credit union, he doesn't know what would have happened. "It was getting difficult, and there was a lot of gang involvement where we were staying. Who's to say I might not have been sucked up in all that?”

Gonzalez went on to star in basketball at NCAA Division III Montclair State in New Jersey and drew interest from NBA teams. But he passed on a pro contract, deciding instead to dedicate his life to providing opportunities for boys and girls in his hometown who face the same tough choices he did.

Gonzalez teaches ninth-grade history by day, and by night he runs the Hope + Future youth center he founded. There, he shares the same message he delivered to the New York Giants in 2011, fueling their run to a Super Bowl championship, and to countless elite worldwide organizations since: To find true fulfillment, you must go “all in” by throwing your heart and soul into what matters most to you, relishing the trials and tribulations as much as the successes.

Gonzalez will present that message to CUNA Governmental Affairs Conference (GAC) attendees Feb. 25 in the ED (Filene) Talk, sponsored by CUNA Councils.

Expect him to praise credit unions for continuing to serve people of lesser means.

“I'd encourage them not to stop because for me, the benefits and the impact have been innumerable,” Gonzalez says. “You can't put a price on what it means to have someone believe in you, and the impact it made on my family.”

This CUNA News Podcast episode is the first in a five-part weekly series with GAC speakers and personalities, including:

  • Digital intelligence specialist Kristen Soltis Anderson (Feb. 1).
  • Unconventional marketer Scott Stratten (Feb. 8).
  • Political analyst Amy Walter (Feb. 15).
  • GAC emcee Antonio Neves (Feb. 22).

You can listen and subscribe to the CUNA News Podcast in Apple’s iTunes Store, Google Play, and Stitcher Radio.

KEYWORDS CUNA GAC

Post a comment to this article

Report Abusive Comment

Credit Union Magazine: Winter 2022

Winter 2022

Credit Union Magazine’s Winter 2022 issue highlights data-driven marketing, the board’s role in cybersecurity, elder abuse scams, credit unions’ auto lending advantage, and more.
Digital Edition •  Subscribe

Trending

  • House passes CUNA, League-led board modernization bill

  • Reps introduce bipartisan Credit Union Board Modernization Act

  • What workers want

Tweets by CUNA_News

Polls

Vote for the 2023 CU Hero of the Year

View Results
More

Champion for the Credit Union Movement

Credit Union National Association is the most influential financial services trade association and the only national association that advocates on behalf of all of America's credit unions. We work tirelessly to protect your best interests in Washington and all 50 states. We fuel your professional growth at every level and champion the credit union story at every turn.

More CUNA

  • Membership
  • Contact Us
  • Careers

Resources for

  • Credit Union Advocates
  • Leagues
  • Press
  • Providers

Our Affiliates

  • American Association of Credit Union Leagues (AACUL)
  • Credit Union Awareness
  • Credit Union House
  • CUNA Strategic Services
  • National Credit Union Foundation
GET CUNA UPDATES
© 2023 Credit Union National Association | ADA Compliance Notice & Legal
Email Us