I’m Finished!
Or perhaps just getting started…
In August of 2023 I began an educational journey which has been so inspiring that I feel a new sense of purpose! When I first applied to graduate school, I had to summarize my objectives for pursuing the degree. Mind you, it has been 35 years since I received my B.S. from K-State. I was so uncertain about my career then, my life’s purpose, my relationships. I think there was some sense (which I have said jokingly to many) of the opportunity to redeem myself for my “poor” undergraduate performance. But, with the maturity I now have, I stated my objectives:
- Obtain an advanced degree from my alma mater.
- Support the financial planning department in pursuing the degree to which I am actively offering my experience in an advisory capacity.
- Focus specifically on Financial Therapy track to enhance my 25+ years of experience and 20+ years practicing as a CFP ® Practitioner.
- Desire to potentially teach at an advanced level requiring a master’s degree.
If only all our objectives were that easy to meet!
Beyond the degree itself, a few standout learning experiences for me included my Financial Therapy Theory class, where I learned about ‘The Money Egg Exercise,” and was so excited about it that I shared it at a women’s workshop in 2024 with a group of clients and friends.
Another favorite class was Conflict Resolution, which has become a daily activity for me in thinking about and reframing conversations with family, clients, and even in some of my divorce planning work. Money is a big source of conflict in many relationships and having a better understanding of where some of our thoughts about money come from and then applying communication techniques to create better money experiences is both an art and a skill!
In my Foundations of Leadership class, I turned my focus toward my leadership roles in philanthropy and my community. As a board member of The Face Foundation, I have applied my knowledge and leadership style to help grow our planned giving and fundraising efforts through my volunteerism, authoring a regular column in the newsletter, and my personal support.
My final two classes, Advanced Estate Planning and Advanced Retirement Planning, were the capstone classes of my academic endeavors that reminded me that after all of my years as a financial advisor, I still do not “know it all!” Learning takes a lifetime to achieve, so I am definitely not finished, I'm just getting started!