October 25, 2018
Personal financial planning program has success at annual conference
Submitted by College of Human Ecology
Kansas State University's personal financial planning student team has once again succeeded at the national level.
The undergraduate competition team placed third overall in the Financial Planning Challenge at the 2018 Financial Planning Association national conference Oct. 3-5 in Chicago. This is the 16th time in the last 17 years that the team has finished in the top three.
The team won a $1,000 scholarship for the personal financial planning program.
The team members are all seniors in personal financial planning and include Abby Pope, Leawood; Jack Giardino, Washington, Iowa; and Landon Warmund, Grain Valley, Missouri. The team is advised by Stuart Heckman, a certified financial planner and assistant professor of personal financial planning, and Roxanne Martens, a certified financial planner and instructor of personal financial planning.
"We are incredibly proud of the team and their hard work," said Martin Seay, associate professor and program director. "We are also grateful for Dr. Heckman and Professor Marten's guidance and support of the team throughout the competition."
This year's competitors also included Utah Valley University, Texas A&M University, Western Kentucky University, William Paterson University, Texas Tech University, Fort Hays State University and the University of Georgia.
Along with the undergraduate competition team's success, numerous doctoral students also were recognized for their work at the conference.
Derek Lawson was awarded the Montgomery-Warshauer Award for the paper that most impacted the profession in 2017. This is the second time in three years a K-State student has won this prestigious award.
Miranda Reiter was awarded the Financial Planning Association Diversity Award for her work to increase opportunities for populations with limited representation in the financial planning workforce.
Sara Asebedo, a doctoral graduate, was awarded best paper for her research presented during the Academic Track at the conference.
The Financial Planning Association is the premier professional organization for Certified Financial Planner professionals, educators, financial services providers and students who seek advancement in a growing, dynamic profession.