Why did you decide to come to the University of Missouri and major in personal financial planning? What do you enjoy about the program itself? The field of study?
I came to Mizzou with little idea of what I really wanted to major in. After researching programs offered at Mizzou, I discovered personal financial planning. I have a passion for finance and working with clients to help them with their biggest financial obstacles and opportunities, and personal financial planning is perfect for that. What I love about PFP is the small class sizes and one-on-one time you get to spend with professors. The classes offered are applicable to real-life financial circumstances everyone has to deal with at some point in their lives including taxes, insurance, investments, retirement, etc. I would recommend everyone look into these courses even if they aren’t PFP majors to help them prepare for these things!
Could you talk about how the University of Missouri, with a specific focus on the personal financial planning degree program, prepares you for life after college?
The personal financial planning degree program offers undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs that are registered with the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. These programs meet the education requirement needed to sit for the national CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ exam. One of my goals for life after college is to sit for the CFP™ exam and, having majored in PFP at Mizzou, I have already met the education requirement for this test! Aside from that, the courses offered through PFP have provided me with a solid framework of financial knowledge in investments, retirement, taxes, and insurance that I will apply to my future career and my own personal finances.
CAFNR encourages students to have a variety of extracurricular experiences during their time at MU, including research and study abroad, as part of its RISE Initiative. Have you participated in any research projects or study abroad programs, or any other extracurricular experiences? If so, what have you enjoyed about those?
Over the last year I have taken on the role of social media manager for PFP. I run all social media pages and create content to keep students, parents, faculty and alumni up to date on PFP events and information. This manager role has given me the opportunity to learn more about personal financial planning at Mizzou and be more involved in the program. I have also utilized Mizzou Handshake to secure an internship this past summer! I interned at LaBrunerie Financial here in Columbia and would not have found this position had I not used Handshake!
What has been your favorite activity or experience of being a Mizzou student?
Being a Mizzou student has provided me with a variety of ways to engage with the college as well as the city of Columbia that I grew up near. What I love about Mizzou is the variety of opportunities that are available to all students and the faculty that are there along the way to help all students succeed. The Mizzou PFP faculty and staff have helped me tremendously along the way in discovering my passion for financial planning!