UVU’s 2025 PFP Spring Banquet celebrated student success, faculty awards, top industry partnerships, and the launch of the new FinTech Center—highlighting national achievements in personal financial planning.
The 2025 PFP Spring Banquet brought together students, faculty, alumni, and industry leaders for an evening of celebration, recognition, and innovation. The event showcased the many accomplishments of UVU’s Personal Financial Planning (PFP) program over the past year.
Seventeen leading firms and sponsors—including title sponsor Fidelity Investments and emerald sponsor DecisionPoint Financial—attended the banquet, helping raise over $36,000 to support the Personal Financial Planning program and its students. Prior to the evening festivities, interviewed students and participated in an extended networking session, creating invaluable opportunities for career development and industry connection.
A highlight of the evening was the formal announcement of the new UVU FinTech Center. Designed to empower students in financial innovation, the Center will position UVU as a transformational leader in the field by promoting interdisciplinary research, fostering cross-sector collaboration, and strengthening strategic partnerships.
The program also recognized excellence among faculty members. Dr. Rachel Bi received the Presidential Award for Excellence, Dr. Hyrum Smith was honored with the Dean’s Award for Full-Time Teaching, and Dr. Luke Dean received the Ian Wilson Community Engagement award.
National accolades earned by the PFP program were celebrated throughout the night, including #3 national ranking by Wealth Management Magazine, a fourth consecutive first-place finish in the AFCPE Knowledge Bowl, and strong performances in both the FPA Financial Planning Challenge and IARFC competition.
The banquet concluded with the presentation of student and alumni awards, honoring outstanding contributions to the field of financial planning:
The success of the event was made possible by dedicated WSB student volunteers, whose professionalism and coordination demonstrated their strengths in event management.
“Being part of the PFP Banquet was such a rewarding experience! It gave me the chance to really step into the event planning world and see what it’s like to bring a large-scale event together in real time,” said student Sydney Naluai. “I learned so much through the process, and it really solidified my love for this industry. It was one of those moments that reaffirmed for me that this is exactly what I want to do with my career!”
