What’s That: Penny the Pig

Penny the Pig, representative extraordinaire of Financial Wellness @ Penn.

On the Financial Wellness @ Penn website, flyers, socks, hats, and other swag. Occasionally, Penny can be found at events around campus—most often on Locust Walk—and posing with students and other friends.

Penny is the most punny, financially literate pig at Penn.

Lyndsi Burcham, financial wellness program manager, says the first student hired as a student ambassador for the program, Lydia Ko, was tasked with designing a flyer to advertise a workshop. Included was a sketch of what would later become Penny the Pig—so-named following a social media naming contest.

“It just happened, and now it’s one of the most iconic parts of our program,” says Burcham. “And when I’m introducing what we do to other staff or students on campus, I [mention Penny].”

She and her team of 15 student workers, whether conducting workshops or peer counseling with fellow students, now offer free hats and socks with Penny’s likeness to participants. Burcham says it makes what can be a stressful conversation more approachable.

“Having this little bit of levity really helps,” she says, “because the topic can be intimidating.”

In spring 2022, a student worker suggested an inflatable suit for Penny that’s been in use ever since. Inside is a fan that inflates the suit with elastic straps for the person inside. Student volunteers take turns wearing the suit to events—typically once per month.

Burcham says the financial wellness program conducts approximately 35 requested workshops per semester, in addition to eight or more general workshops. Workshops can be requested by offices and student groups and usually last for an hour. Her team of peer educators, who Burcham trains, see approximately 300 students per semester, most of whom, she says, have questions about budgeting and building credit. (Though she notes that topics vary by circumstance.)

As a quirky ambassador for the program, Burcham hopes Penny can continue to draw in students who might be shy about discussing finances.

“Everybody is coming into it with different values and beliefs about ‘Is it OK to talk about these things in public?’” Burcham says. “There’s not a lot of norms around talking about it because we all just don’t.”