Triple Crown Triumph: Personal Financial Planning Claims Victory in National Student Competitions

Three undergraduate student teams in the Department of Personal Financial Planning (PFP) each earned first place in nationally acclaimed conference competitions over the course of the fall semester. Students successfully competed in the Association for Financial Counseling & Planning Education® (AFCPE®) Knowledge Bowl, Financial Planning Challenge, and in the Arthur N. Caple (ANC) Retirement Knowledge Quiz Bowl.

PFP Department Chairperson, Vickie Hampton, Ph.D., CFP®, said the program's win in all three competitions within the same year by different students is an amazing accomplishment for both the students and the department.

"The Texas Tech PFP program is well respected as a leader in the profession," Dr. Hampton said. "These wins verify the quality of our program and the students we graduate."

In the 2018 ANC Retirement Knowledge Quiz Bowl, Jacob Holguin, Sarah Cogan, and Galen Bearden, with guidance from Assistant Professor Sarah Asebedo, Ph.D., CFP®, together claimed victory at the National Association of Government Defined Contribution Administrators (NAGDCA) conference in Philadelphia, Sept. 23-26.

In the final round of the Quiz Bowl, Texas Tech University competed against the University of Georgia. Other teams present in the elimination round included: University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Texas A&M University, University of Missouri and Winthrop University.

Following an exciting win in the ANC Retirement Knowledge Quiz Bowl, the Texas Tech PFP students again placed first in the 2018 Financial Planning Challenge, making this the first victory at this conference for Texas Tech. The win is especially remarkable, as students were prohibited from seeking advice or help from professionals, including the team's own coach, Assistant Professor Michael A. Guillemette, Ph.D., CFP®.

Over the last two decades, the competition changed names, becoming the Financial Planning Challenge at the annual Financial Planning Association® (FPA) conference. Texas Tech generally has been among the top eight teams in the competition, earning second and third-place finishes over the years.

The Financial Planning Challenge is the culmination of a months-long effort. The win came after months of preparation and phases. For the first time, Blane Heflin, Jacob Gurock, and Dimitrian Jimenez came out on top, bringing the first-place prize back Texas Tech.

"Competitions like these give students an opportunity to practice communication skills and showcase the high level of knowledge and skills they have developed from their classes," Dr. Hampton said. "They also create excitement among students and a sense of community in the program."

A third victory occurred for Galen Bearden, Michela Palmer, and Mari Kate Northcut, in the recent AFCPE® conference, led by Instructor Jennifer Wilson.

The objective of the Financial Counseling Knowledge Bowl is to provide an engaging and interactive format that promotes the field of financial counseling in a way that advances and expands the profession.

The annual AFCPE® conference engages university students in financial counseling issues through a gameshow-style competition during the symposium. The Knowledge Bowl asks questions similar to those on the Accredited Financial Counselor® (AFC®) exam.

Looking to the future, Dr. Hampton is excited for what this means for the future of the Personal Financial Planning program.

"I hope this helps our graduates get even better career opportunities and helps us attract more students to the Texas Tech PFP major," Dr. Hampton said.