The K-State FPA Chapter has had a busy first semester of the 2019-2020 school year. The chapter attended the FPA of Wichita Networking Event to connect with professionals in the industry and seek out possible internships and job opportunities. Fifteen students from group also traveled to the National FPA Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota October 15-18.
The Kansas State Personal Financial Planning program was represented by three students, Thomas Meek (’20), Morgan Ziegler (‘19), and Emma Hahn (‘20), in the Financial Planning Challenge for undergraduates at the 2019 Annual Financial Association Conference in Minneapolis. Kansas State was selected as one of the top eight teams in the country based on the comprehensive financial plan they produced by hand. After being selected to compete at the conference, they had to orally present their financial plan to a panel of judges and challenge the other seven schools in a knowledge bowl.
Overall, the team finished second in the country and received first place in the oral presentation phase. “I enjoyed the opportunity to represent K-State on the competition team. I learned so much throughout the process and had fun meeting the other students from across the country,” said Emma Hahn. Historically, Kansas State University has performed well at the competition, placing in the top three three out of the four previous competitions. “The competition made me appreciate our program and faculty at K-State so much more,” said Thomas Meek. “Our faculty does a great job at preparing us for success in the future.”
Professor Roxanne Martens was the faculty representative of the team, providing them with opportunities to practice their presentation to various groups and guidance along the way. Along with the team of three, 12 other undergraduate students were able to attend the conference. This provided the opportunity to learn from industry leaders and network with students and professionals from around the country. Garrett Jackson, junior, enjoyed “the amount of connections you could make. Anywhere you went, you could meet somebody new.” The 2019 Annual Financial Planning Association Conference was a great experience for Kansas State’s Personal Financial Planning program and our faculty and students are looking forward to attending next year’s conference in Phoenix, Arizona.
The K-State FPA group has also hosted, and will continue to host, professionals from around the country to visit with students and share their experiences and advice about careers in financial planning. Some of the chapter’s main goals this year are continuing to increase students’ professional development and help them discover a passion for what they want to do in the future.
We are looking forward to seeing what this year brings for our students and our FPA chapter.
Current officers for the group include: President, Thomas Meek, senior; Vice President, Garrett Jackson, junior; Treasurer, Camrie Wagner, sophomore; Secretary, Blake Matzke, senior; and Faculty Advisor, Dr. Derek Lawson.