The University of Olivet junior Blane Heisler, a financial planning major from Charlotte, joined TD Ameritrade Institutional at the Nasdaq to ring the closing bell Wednesday, July 20. Heisler is the 2016 recipient of TD Ameritrade’s NextGen Financial Planning Scholarship, along with 11 other students from across the country. The award is given as part of a program implemented to encourage more students to pursue a degree and career in personal financial planning.
To celebrate the students’ achievements, TD Ameritrade Institutional and the Company’s President, Tom Nally, brought award recipients to New York City for a VIP tour of Wall Street and to the Nasdaq, where Heisler helped ring the closing bell. He is the second The University of Olivet student to receive this opportunity, as senior Trent Strang won the scholarship and participated in the trip in 2014.
TD Ameritrade Institutional has been shining a spotlight on the looming financial planning talent gap and committed more than $2 million in education funding to help fill the industry pipeline. This year, TD Ameritrade Institutional awarded $5,000 scholarships to 12 undergraduate students, including their most diverse group of students yet, along with $75,000 in grants to expand financial planning degree programs.
The University of Olivet’s financial planning major prepares students for careers helping others plan for their financial security. As part of the program, students gain practical experience preparing and presenting a financial plan, as well as preparing for the life and health insurance agents’ licensing examination administered by the state of Michigan. Learn more about the financial planning major at The University of Olivet.