I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to travel to Boston, with my academic adviser Theresa Miller and seven other students in the financial planning concentration, to attend the FPA BE Boston Conference this last September. I served as a student volunteer at the largest gathering of CFP professionals in the world. By attending to various duties such as scheduling appointments at the business coaches’ booth and scanning professionals’ badges to keep track of the lectures they attended for CEE credit, I was able to gain more insight than I could have imagined. Also, by conversing in small talk with professionals, my knowledge of the financial planning field and interests truly increased. Whether it was bonding over the Red Sox game that many conference attendees, including myself, were present at, or discussing the philosophy of fee-only vs. fee-based, I was affirmed that I was in the field of study that best fits me. One of my favorite moments of the trip was when Theresa and I attended the NexGen Town Hall event. We were graced by the presence of the FPA NexGen Leadership and participated in the organization’s meeting by asking various questions about NexGen. What was very unexpected was that the President of FPA walked through the door of the small town hall event. It was super exciting! Best of all, he admitted he was a University of Illinois graduate from the Finance program. Theresa and I were shocked! And as any University of Illinois alumni would do, he gave us a personal shout out of “Oskee-Wow-Wow”! At that moment, I couldn’t have been prouder to be a student at the University of Illinois! I think everyone else in the room at that moment wished they attended U of I, too! This trip not only reaffirmed why I chose to be a part of the College of ACES, but it also taught me helpful tips on how I can prepare myself now to be a great candidate for the financial planning industry when I graduate from college. I am so thankful the ACE department gave me this opportunity!