For the past four years, Luke Afinson, Customer Operations manager, has spent an hour every other week during the school year at HOPE Community Academy, mentoring a student named Clay, among others. This spring, when he attends Clay’s high school graduation, he knows he’ll feel a profound sense of pride watching her walk across the stage. He’s seen her grow, lead and persevere, and he knows how much effort it took to get there.
Luke serves as Securian Financial’s liaison for the Graduation Coaches program, a youth mentoring initiative of Big Brothers Big Sisters — Twin Cities (BBBS) that helps students in grades nine through 12 prepare for life after high school. As a graduation coach, Luke and fellow Securian associates support students in strengthening academic skills, improving study habits, cultivating healthy peer relationships — and, most importantly, graduating with a clear post-secondary plan.
A school rooted in culture and community
HOPE Community Academy, a St. Paul charter school, opened in 2020 and began adding high school grades in 2021. The school’s mission is to inspire academic excellence while embracing Hmong language and culture.
“Most of the students are children of first-generation immigrants,” Luke explained. “They carry huge responsibilities — balancing schoolwork while translating for their parents, helping care for younger siblings and navigating unfamiliar systems. They’re incredibly resilient.”
Clay, whom Luke has mentored since her freshman year, embodies that resilience. She has served as class president all four years and is the student manager for the volleyball team.
“Her peers see her as a leader,” Luke said. “When she speaks, people listen. Watching her confidence grow has been one of the greatest joys of this experience.”
Clay and her classmates will soon be taking important next steps: Clay plans to attend cosmetology and esthetician school, another student is preparing for a four-year program at the University of Minnesota, and others will pursue trade and technical paths. Every student has a plan — the program’s primary goal.
A lifelong commitment to service
Luke’s passion for volunteering runs deep. “I was raised Catholic, and volunteering was just part of life,” he said. “My siblings and I helped my mom deliver Meals on Wheels every Friday. Later, we volunteered at the Dorothy Day Center and Feed My Starving Children. Helping people — and broadening my perspective — has always been important to me.”
Being rooted in St. Paul also shaped his values. “One of the things that drew me to Securian was its commitment to our community,” he said. “It aligned with how I was raised and what I believe we’re called to do — give back, no matter what.”
That perspective grew throughout his career. Luke first volunteered through Securian in 2019 with Urban Academy, working as a reading tutor with first- through sixth-grade students. Then the pandemic disrupted that program.
BBBS approached Securian in 2021 with a new opportunity: help launch a high-school mentoring model that would meet during the school day and focus on academic readiness. Kate Mayer, senior consultant, Community Relations, and assistant director of the Securian Financial Foundation, approached Luke about the opportunity, and Luke rose to the challenge — both as Securian’s liaison and as a mentor.
He also takes advantage of Securian’s Volunteer Plus program to give money, in addition to his time and leadership. Through the program, the Securian Financial Foundation donates up to $500 to eligible non-profit organizations where associates volunteer 25 hours of time within a calendar year.
Opening doors — and eyes — to what’s possible
The Graduation Coaches program pairs mentors with small groups of students, allowing them to build relationships over several years. For Luke, being with the same student from ninth grade through graduation has been especially meaningful.
The program also includes two annual field trips in which students visit Securian’s campus along with other locations like the Science Museum of Minnesota and the Mall of America. “About 90 students, staff and mentors come together,” Luke said. “For many, it’s their first time seeing a corporate environment. It helps them imagine possibilities they may never have considered.”
That exposure, Luke believes, changes lives. “Our goal is to unlock potential,” he said. “Students start to see themselves in new ways — as leaders, as professionals, as people with the ability to shape their future.”
Leadership shaped by life at work — and at home
Luke has been with Securian for nearly 10 years, holding roles in underwriting, business analytics and operations before becoming a full-time Customer Operations manager in 2024. He now leads the billing & contract administration teams in Operations supporting Employee Benefits Solutions, leading 35 associates, including 11 direct reports.
He credits his experience as both a mentor and a parent for strengthening how he shows up as a leader.
“Being a dad has made me a better leader,” he said. His children are aged two and four. “Kids are straight shooters — you learn patience, empathy and how to really listen. Those skills carry directly into how I support my team.”
Luke is grateful that Securian encourages employees to bring their whole selves to work — including their passion for community involvement. “My leaders have always supported volunteering,” he said. “It’s something I bring into my goals every year.”
A ripple effect of impact
As he prepares to watch Clay graduate, Luke reflects on what the experience has meant to him.
“We’ve been given so much,” he said. “My parents instilled that values-based mindset early on — always do something to help others, no matter what. Mentoring gives you a bigger, broader perspective on life.”
And for Clay and her classmates, his consistent presence — every other week for four years — helped reinforce something powerful: their goals matter, their futures are bright and their community believes in them.
