CalKids – The First Steps Towards College

Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Audience: Families

4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Audience: Families

JoinCalKids for a presentation on financial aid packaging.

SPEAKERS

Noah Lightman, Manager of Children’s Savings Account (CSA) Initiatives with the ScholarShare Investment Board (SIB) & Rachell Owen-Reinwald, Outreach Specialist, Children’s Savings Accounts Initiatives

The Speakers

Noah Lightman is the Manager of Children’s Savings Account (CSA) Initiatives with the ScholarShare Investment Board (SIB), the state agency that administers California’s ScholarShare 529 college savings plan. In this role, he oversees the development and implementation of California’s statewide CSA program, the California Kids Investment and Development Savings Program (CalKIDS). The CalKIDS Program is the nation’s largest CSA program, serving over 3.4 million enrolled participants. He also manages ScholarShare 529’s partnerships with CSA programs across the country.

Prior to joining SIB, Noah served as a Legislative Aide in the California State Assembly, where he negotiated legislation and provided policy recommendations on numerous statewide issues. During this time, he successfully secured the original funding for CalKIDS through the state budget. He began his career working in different campaign and policy capacities for political candidates and a labor union in California. 

Noah earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego. 

Rachell serves as the Outreach Specialist for California’s CalKIDS program, a Program overseen by the ScholarShare Investment Board. She brings extensive insight into asset-building, focusing on financial preparation for higher education and Children’s Savings Account programs. 

Prior to joining the CalKIDS team and the ScholarShare Investment Board, Rachell was engaged in educational advocacy at a grass roots level, having formed a no-cost, after-school academic enrichment program for young learners in her community. 

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, East Bay where she studied multi-subject elementary education, as well as an Associate of Arts degree from Chabot College.