Michigan Education Trust
Spokesperson Development
When it comes to saving for a child’s future education, getting set with a MET 529 prepaid tuition savings plan is a smart move. But sometimes, navigating the process of opening an account can feel daunting — which is why the Michigan Education Trust entrusted me with creating an approachable spokesperson character to help with the process.
Teacher: Minerva
Character Overview
Name: Minerva (Symbolic of the Goddess of wisdom)
Traits: Knowledgeable, Compassionate, Curious, Adventurous
Description: Adult woman (35-45), biracial, hair worn pulled back, outfits skew casual but outdoorsy.
Personality: A middle school science teacher with an adventurous spirit dedicated to spreading knowledge, discovering new information and cracking corny jokes.
As a first-generation college graduate, Minerva is passionate about educating families on the importance of planning and saving for a child’s future education.
As a science teacher, she is always prepared to answer questions by thinking outside the box. Fun fact: Minerva is a first dan in judo and avid birder (how she knows MET’s mascot Whoodini).
Magician: Meg
Character Overview
Name: Meg / Magic Meg
Traits: Charismatic, Flashy, Bad at Magic but Good at Finance
Description: Adult woman (35-45), biracial, flamboyantly colored highlights (MET blue), often wears theatrical magician’s costume (cape, top hat, wand, carries cards).
Personality: Whoodini’s magician is a bit of an enigma — she’s a practitioner of parlor tricks who never quite gets them right, but her advice on financial matters is always spot-on! Meg is an expert when it comes to MET and quite the smooth talker — often becoming the center of attention. Her friends would describe her as a social butterfly with a penchant for mischief. Disorganized but good intentioned, she relies heavily on MET’s current mascot Whoodini (whom she met at magic camp) to keep her on track.
