Being a Member From Abroad—Ashley’s SCFCU Experience

At St. Cloud Federal Credit Union, we pride ourselves in taking care of our members. Whatever your current situation, wherever life takes you, we want to be there to help. One member, Ashley, tells us about her experience with SCFCU while she traveled abroad in her own words:

StSt. Cloud Federal Credit Union is a place that has always been familiar to me growing up, as it still is today- with both of my parents being members there for over 20 years. When I decided to travel to Europe, I turned to my parents for advice on where I should set up my accounts before I leave. I needed a bank account and a debit card that would work for overseas for 3 months, have the features I desired and still be convenient for my family to make deposits. After discussing this with my parents, they suggested I stop into their credit union to learn more.

The next day I went to the St. Cloud Federal Credit Union to discuss my Europe trip and my plans for gaining access to my money while abroad. The staff at SCFCU made me feel valued and respected during all stages of my visit—from inquiry to new membership. They eagerly helped find the best product for me and also took the time to set everything up. I was surprised by all the benefits and features of their accounts—all of which fulfilled my financial needs abroad. 

The employees at the SCFCU understood that I would be away for several months and wanted to make my experience with them as smooth as possible. The staff showed me how to utilize my online banking account and even helped me download and sign into the SCFCU mobile banking apps. I realized that, to SCFCU, it was more than just setting up another checking and savings account, rather it was a new relationship being established with a valued member. This made me realize the clear difference between banks and credit unions.


Throughout my trip,I had no troubles with my checking or savings account, and my parents were able to deposit money into my accounts, which saved me in a couple emergency situations. I knew that if something did occur with my accounts while abroad that the staff at St. Cloud Federal Credit Union would take good care of me. As I am a member now, I see how the staff go the extra mile to ensure their members are taken care of and feel valued.


Thank you for the kind words, Ashley. We are happy to help. If you are heading overseas on vacation, on a study abroad program, or for any other reason and are curious about finances, contact St. Cloud Federal Credit Union.

Elizabeth Returns!

One of our Member Service Representatives, Elizabeth D., recently returned from a six-month trip to South Africa where she studied abroad and embarked on all sorts of new experiences.  We thoroughly enjoyed following her adventures via email updates and pictures, and now that she’s back we asked her to share some of the highlights from her trip…

The hardest part about leaving SCFCU was…
Leaving an amazing work environment that was a part of my life almost every day and saying goodbye to co-workers for a long period of time.  

My first impression of South Africa was…
How similar it was to the U.S.! I was very surprised at how developed and westernized the country is. I also noticed their slightly British accents, which I loved!

My favorite food/treat I ate while I was there was…
Milk tart! It is a dessert that has a milky thick custard filling poured onto pie crust and sprinkled with cinnamon. Another favorite is Horlicks milkshake. Horlicks is a powder that can be mixed with ice cream and milk to create a malt and tastes like a blend of vanilla and cake batter, it is absolutely delicious. I have the recipe for the milk tart but I am determined to find Horlicks on Amazon.  

The craziest/most adventurous thing I did while there was… 

Bungee jump off of the highest commercial bungee bridge, the Bloukrans Bridge, at 216M.  I went skydiving and jumped out of a plane from 10,000 feet. I also went scuba diving and swam right next to a couple of ragged tooth sharks. 

The prettiest animal I saw was…
A leopard! I saw one for the first time in my life in South Africa at Kruger National Park. We were able to drive around the largest game reserve in Africa and to our luck we spotted a leopard in a tree devouring its recent kill, an impala. It was such a sight and the leopards coat looked absolutely beautiful!

My favorite part about everyday life in South Africa was…
You never knew what was going to happen; every day was a new experience. The people are extremely friendly and I was able to immerse myself into the culture and learn new things every day. I also became very well acquainted with the lingo there by naturally saying things like; ‘shame’ or ‘I’ll be there just nownow’, or ‘that’s dodgy’.  

While I was gone, I really started to miss… 
My car! I had to walk almost everywhere otherwise I would take the cheapest transportation available which were called Kombi’s. These vans were a bit ‘dodgy’ (sketchy) because they crammed several people into one vehicle but were also very fun because they played very loud music. All I have to say is luckily I always arrived to my destination.   

One thing I learned while on the trip was…

To not take certain commodities for granted. Conveniences that I easily accessed at home were sometimes not available in South Africa. I also know that in rural areas the villages lack basic resources such as clean water, a sewage system, and electricity.  

I’m surprised how much I miss…  
Living in Annie’s with the community of international students, the beach, the rugby games, traveling in jam packed cars and driving for up to 36 hours straight, and the South Africans!

The most exciting part about coming home was..
Seeing my baby sister, Avery, again! Prior to my departure she would only roll around and smile, then during my stay she began crawling, growing teeth, and speaking the cutest gibberish! I was extremely happy to see her and happily surprised that she remembered me!   

My words of wisdom now that I’m back are…
A life lesson I learned in South Africa and from the trip itself is that you will never know what you are capable of doing unless you give it a try. I realize now how much the world has to offer and the abundance of opportunities there are that any single individual can accomplish. Always strive for more and never settle for less.  

We are so happy that Elizabeth had a wonderful time in South Africa, but we sure are glad she’s back!  It is nice to have her warm smile and friendly personality in our Sartell office again, welcome home Elizabeth!