Completing the Mission: Personal Financial Planning Veteran Pursues Graduate School

Following Active Duty, Graduate Student Chases His Passions in Financial Planning

Personal Financial Planning (PFP) graduate student, Han Xue, returned to academia following his service in the U.S. military. After deciding to follow his interests in financial planning, Han says that Texas Tech University's PFP master's program exceeded his expectations in both the courses and accessibility for students like himself.

"To have an opportunity to learn from some of the most respected professionals in the financial advisory industry is a blessing," Han said. "Each faculty member has a genuine heart to support and helps students to succeed inside and outside the classroom."

Han's military background led to the development of qualities like the attention to detail, something he describes as being drilled into him as a young enlisted soldier.

"When soldiers conduct a mission on the battlefield, paying close attention to details can be the difference between life or death," Han said. "In the financial planning field, the details can create or destroy the relationship you build with clients. One small error can be a disaster to a client's investment portfolio."

In the PFP graduate program, Han says he was taught to turn the attention to detail towards his projects and numbers. Han credits his military background for allowing him to excel in this area.

The depth of coursework and genuine interest of professors are striking qualities Han has found along the way to completing his master's degree in Personal Financial Planning. Currently, Han serves on the Personal Financial Planning Association, organizing education-driven student events while fostering opportunities for PFP students to connect to their peers.

Additionally, Han enjoys participating with Red to Black as a peer financial coach providing financial guidance to students on campus. Red to Black offers graduate students like Han the unique opportunity to practice real-world financial counseling through balancing a student budget, reducing personal debts, and even building credit scores or navigating employment benefits.

"As financial services products are increasingly complex, making appropriate choices about financial issues, such as investment options requires a degree of financial skill," Han said. "I have a desire to improve financial literacy levels in the U.S middle class and to teach individuals how to make informed decisions regarding the use and management of their money—ultimately to achieve financial goals."

Adding to his desire to both educate and serve his community, Han also participates in the Mentor Tech program to enhance the quality of the educational experiences for underrepresented students. Each role Han has taken in his graduate student journey supports his career goal of becoming a Certified Financial Planner™ after graduation this May.

"I would call this experience (in the graduate program) the most remarkable and transformative one during my time at Texas Tech," Han said. "It not only will improve my professional career but also my life."