OREM, Utah — Three students in the Personal Financial Planning Program from the Utah Valley University (UVU) Woodbury School of Business won the national 2021 Knowledge Bowl in November, sponsored by the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education (AFCPE).

UVU’s team consisted of Alisa Nguyen from Saratoga Springs, Utah; Kayla Greer from St. George, Utah; and Davis Allen from American Fork, Utah. Ryan Law, a UVU faculty member, served as coach. Knowledge Bowl teams are comprised of three undergraduate students who compete against other teams in a game-style competition. Each team receives 40 questions focused on the AFCPE Core Competencies. The team with the most points at the end of the competition wins.

“The AFCPE Knowledge Bowl isn’t just about financial education,” said Allen, a member of UVU’s team. “As important as that is, we combine education and the psychological-behavior side of money. I now have a stronger sense of how I can help clients navigate their personal finances by helping them to better understand their own views of money.”

The competition tested participants on three subjects: personal finance, financial counseling, and debt management. The competition is normally rotated among cities in the U.S. but was held virtually this year because of COVID-19 restrictions.

In the final round, the three UVU students competed against teams from the University of Missouri, Utah State University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Kansas State University, Texas Tech University, and the University of Georgia. UVU took first place with 32 points, followed by the University of Georgia in second place with 31 points and Texas Tech University in third place with 28 points.

“I am proud of the work that Alisa, Kayla, and Davis put into this competition,” Law said. “They studied hard and worked together as a team. It was a tough competition with great competitors and hard questions. It felt great to come out on top!”

In addition, Law, who is also the director of UVU’s Money Management Resource Center, received the national AFCPE Distinguished Fellow Award during the competition. It is given to one person annually who has made significant and long-lasting contributions to AFCPE over the year.

“Ryan is thoroughly deserving of this award, and this award came as a surprise to absolutely nobody in the industry,” said Norm Wright, dean of UVU’s Woodbury School of Business. “Perhaps the only surprise is that he is not named every year as the national winner of this prestigious recognition.”

Law said he is grateful to join the select group of other AFCPE Fellows and for those who have brought him to this point in his career.

 

About Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education

AFCPE is the nationally recognized leader in financial counseling, coaching, and education. Bringing together research, education, and practice, we support the profession through comprehensive training, professional development, and high-quality resources to help improve the economic well-being of individuals and families worldwide.