Cassandra Cortez
Chicago, IL
Former Occupation: Dean of Students

Growing up on the west side of Chicago, IL, Cassandra Cortez remembers her family’s struggles well – experiences she knew she didn’t want to repeat for her own young daughter.

“I come from a background that wasn’t always pleasant,” Cassandra recalls. “As I got older, I didn’t really have anyone to look up to, but I knew I wanted to be that positive role model that others growing up in a similar situation could follow.”

Cassandra started her career in social services before transitioning into education as Dean of Students at a local high school. Although she loved making a positive difference in the lives of the kids she worked with, it seemed like her own goals kept getting pushed back.

“I loved working with the kids, but I couldn’t get ahead,” she recalls. “I was starting to lose hope that I’d ever be able to give my daughter the life I wanted for her. When my best friend, Mika Saunders – a Primerica Representative – encouraged me to get life licensed and join her in the business, I decided to give it a shot.”¹

In Primerica, Cassandra not only found a way to earn a better income for her family, she also found a business opportunity that fed her insatiable desire to help people.² “For the first time in a long time, I felt that sense of hope for my future again,” Cassandra smiles. “Being in the Primerica environment made me realize that I could be the example for others that I had always wanted to be.”

What impressed her the most were Primerica’s HOW MONEY WORKS™ financial concepts, especially The Rule of 72.  “I thought, ‘Here, I have this great job and a master’s degree and I have never heard that concept before,’” she relates. “I had always wanted to invest, but nobody ever taught me how to do it until Primerica came along. And once I learned how, I couldn’t wait to teach others to do the same.”³

As much as Cassandra is a role model to those watching her business succeed, the real power of her example can be felt closer to home. “I always say, ‘this isn’t my story, it’s my daughter’s story.’ Getting to bring that same hope, that same chance to be somebody, that same shot at controlling their destiny to my clients is what keeps me going. We light the spark of hope every day, and that’s an unbelievable feeling.”

1 Primerica Representatives are independent contractors and are not employees of Primerica. Representatives earn income through the sale of products and are not paid to recruit.

2 Primerica offers a business opportunity that involves the sale of term life insurance and various other financial service products. Primerica representatives are independent contractors, not employees. Their earnings are based on the sale of products offered by Primerica and also qualifying product referrals. Importantly, Primerica representatives must be appropriately licensed for each product line before they are qualified to make a sale.

3. The Rule of 72 concept works from a mathematical standpoint and is not intended to represent an investment. It uses constant rates of return, unlike actual investments which will fluctuate in value. It also does not include fees or taxes, which would lower performance. It is unlikely that an investment would grow 10% or greater on a consistent basis.