Four students connected with the Personal Financial Planning Program at Cal State Fullerton’s College of Business and Economics visited Orlando, Florida this spring to attend the International Association of Registered Financial Consultants (IARFC) Financial Forum. President’s Scholar Jackson Steuber ’27, Titan Capital Management Portfolio Managers Karhan Camurdan ’26 and Paula Sweis, and finance student Minson Vuong ’25 were accompanied by professor and mentor HanNa Lim, director of the financial planning program.  

The IARFC is a nonprofit professional trade association emphasizing integrity, innovation and servant leadership. Attending students networked with prominent industry leaders, who stressed the importance of combining technical expertise with a strong personal mission. Workshop sessions examined the current macroeconomic outlook around the world in light of tariffs and inflation, as well as retirement savings strategies such as annuities and long-term care insurance.  

The Cal State Fullerton students were also spectators to the National Student Financial Planning Competition, which featured teams from the University of North Texas, Texas Tech University, and Utah Valley University.  

“Attending the IARFC Financial Forum was an inspiring experience. It expanded our technical knowledge, strengthened our sense of purpose, allowed us to network with veteran professionals in a small environment, and reinforced the important impact financial planners can have on people’s lives,” says Sweis. “We students had the opportunity to network with fellow students at our resort stay and explore Orlando with our professor. We hope as students to be selected for the opportunity to compete in next year’s annual conference. We look forward to carrying these lessons into our future careers, serving clients with integrity, compassion, and leadership.” 

From extracurricular and immersive opportunities such as this study tour in Orlando to on-campus events benefiting the community, the Personal Financial Planning Program is committed to educating the next generation of financial planners and wealth managers focused on helping all sectors of society maximize their finances. For more on the financial planning program at Cal State Fullerton, read more of our articles on financial planning education and research.