By Scott McGehee, junior in personal financial planning
The Financial Planning Association at K-State, FPA K-State, student group has been very active throughout this school year. The group is run by co-presidents Nolan Keim, junior, and Scott McGehee, junior, with faculty advisor Roxanne Martens. The group is rapidly growing and has roughly 25 members, which represents a little under half of the undergraduates in the major. During the previous school year, FPA K-State hosted an intern panel made up of students who had internships over the previous summer. They answered questions related to their experiences and offered advice to other students seeking out opportunities for internships.
The group was excited to host PFP alum Linda Leitz, owner of It’s Not Just Money, Inc., from Colorado Springs, Colorado and she spoke about opportunities in the industry, specifically for young women.
FPA K-State also hosted its first young alumni panel, consisting of recent graduates Cole Foster, Kristen Payne and Ashley Herb Preston. The panel included master’s student Matt Buckwalter and the focus of the panel was what students can expect immediately after graduation as they enter industry or pursue graduate school.
Other activities included the group traveling to FPA events hosted at chapters in Kansas City, Wichita and Dallas; and participation in recruitment events on campus. In April, the group held its first three-on-three basketball tournament to raise money for the Flint Hills Bread Basket. Nineteen teams signed up and we raised $350 and collected food cans that were given to the charitable organization. This was a great opportunity to give back to the community, as well as to advertise the major to students in the K-State and Manhattan communities. Next school year, the group hopes to continue growing and be able to offer even more professional development opportunities to its members.
FPA K-State is always looking for more ways to get industry professionals and alumni involved! If you would like more information about FPA K-State email Scott McGehee or faculty advisor, Roxanne Martens.