Student Spotlight: Sarah Suntrup, University of Missouri Senior

Sarah Suntrup worries about her parents.

They didn’t save a lot for retirement and her mom will probably have to take a second job when she retires from her first, which makes Suntrup sad.

“I feel everybody who’s worked their whole life should have some time to take off and do whatever they want,” the University of Missouri senior said. Her parents’ financial situation causes her emotional stress. “It makes me uncomfortable that they’re not very secure.”

So the young woman, who’s always been good at math and exudes an infectious passion for helping people, chose to go into financial planning.

She wants to help middle- to low-income families achieve their goals of financial security and any dreams of sending their kids to college loan free.

“The people who need financial planners the most are often people who cannot afford them,” Suntrup said. Eventually, she said, she’s going to start a nonprofit or privately funded education program that reaches people while their still young to teach them financial literacy.

“Everybody should have access to financial planning, education and literacy,” she said.

This is her third FPA annual conference, and she said she never misses the general sessions or the opportunity to hit every exhibitor booth in the exhibit hall to network.

“You have a chance to talk to people from firms all over the country—all over the world even,” she said enthusiastically. She also enjoys any seminar involving information on retirement planning. Her one suggestion? Have student volunteers paired up with mentor professionals.

She’s been active in her student FPA chapter, previously serving as its president, and is involved in many campus activity, but the extracurricular activity she enjoys the most is her involvement in school’s Office for Financial Success’ free financial counseling services. Through that program, students are trained by the IRS to do income taxes for families who make less than $50,000 a year.

“I want to help people,” she said. “When I help someone, it makes me feel good.”

Ana Trujillo
FPA publications team
Denver, CO

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