by Yaw Owusu-Boahen | September 16, 2025
Maya’s days start early and end late. By mid-afternoon, she’s rushing from a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) shift to a phlebotomy lab at CONNCAT, trying to keep her focus through the third exam of the week. At night, she sits at her kitchen table managing her finances, making sure that this week’s $400 can stretch across groceries, rent, and gas.
“I’m only hitting…around $400 a week, and that’s nothing. So I feel like it’s time to just go back to school so I can just get more money and be more supportive of myself. I feel like now it’s time to turn it up a notch.”
Born and raised in New Haven, Maya has been a CNA for five years. From the VA to rehab centers, and even elderly homes as a health aide, she’s worked everywhere. Maya recently completed a pharmacy tech license and is now training in phlebotomy, but it’s still difficult to pay the bills. CNA work pays $16 an hour, and Maya is capped at 20 to 30 hours per week. Her income comes with an added price. Although Maya is in her 20s, the physical toll of her work has already left her with a back injury.
Maya also lives in the shadow of her debt. When Southern Connecticut State University transitioned to virtual classes during the COVID-19 pandemic, she left the program owing $5,000 in federal student loans, Maya was unable to make her $370 monthly payment when the moratorium on student loan payments was lifted, causing her loans to accrue $700 in interest and dropping her credit score by 130 points.
“Helping people has just always been something I’ve enjoyed and done. So I felt like this was just the right path to go down.”
This summer, a community partner referred her to the Cash Catalyst program hosted by the Wealth Accelerator. At the Cash Catalyst Orientation, she joined dozens of peers at CONNCAT, breaking into small groups to learn about financial planning and local credit unions. What struck her most wasn’t the curriculum, but the authentic community of young people trying to make it work.
The Cash Catalyst program brings 55 residents of the Greater New Haven area between the ages of 18 and 30 together for capital and financial education. After completing the curriculum, participants receive $2,000 in debt relief and the chance to be selected to receive a $20,000 cash injection. The cash can be used to purchase a home, start a business, pursue education, or invest in retirement. Maya didn’t hesitate when asked what she would do with the $2,000.
“I would definitely put it towards my debt for school… and I’d probably put a thousand into one of my stocks.”
The $20,000 award would open even more doors. Maya hopes to attend Sonography school, which costs about $25,000. By investing $20,000 in her education, Maya could increase her wage while minimizing future loan payments. She’s also open to investing her cash injection into an appreciating asset.
“Some people look at a dollar as a soldier. They use that dollar to go make them money…With school, it would be great. But long term, I think the property would be better.”
Maya wants to purchase a two or three-family home that she can rent to students. With the support of first-time homebuyer programs, that $20,000 can seed a down payment that she could never save for while earning $16 per hour. Maya imagines that 10 years down the line, she could be a travel sonographer and own multiple homes, renting out properties to families and tourists.
Cash Catalyst is not just about direct cash; it’s about encouraging participants to approach money from a new perspective. In our first workshop, Maya reflected on how each class sees money differently.
“Low class, we’re just chasing that dollar ’till we die. Middle class, they think credit is the end-all-be-all. But it’s not. You also have to learn how to save, how to budget. Wealthy people use that dollar to go make them money.”
That shift, from working for money to having money work for you, is what Cash Catalyst is all about.
Head to the Wealth Accelerator website to learn more about wealth-building solution for Connecticut families.