Rebecca Wilton, a recent UGA online Financial Planning graduate, was not originally expecting to change career paths when enrolling in UGA’s Masters of Financial Planning online program. 

“I was seeking an opportunity to increase my knowledge of personal finance. I did not expect to fall in love with financial planning and then want to find a way to change careers once again!” says Wilton.

Before graduating from UGA with a Master’s degree, Wilton obtained an accounting degree from Purdue University and previously worked in mortgage lending, banking, HR, Office Management, and contracting for the government. 

She continued to work full time and take care of a house and family while pursuing her online Master’s degree and says, “The professors provided enough time to get the assignments completed and I was able to schedule out my weeks ahead of time in order to get it all done! I feel like I learned a lot in the program, but you do have to be disciplined to make time each day or week to get the work done.”

Wilton found her passion for financial planning through her deep desire to help others. She notes that, “There is so much financial education that can be provided for the public because almost everyone can use some sort of help with their financial situation. I cannot wait to get all of my testing and licensing done so that I can meet with clients face to face. I want to be able to help younger people set themselves up for a successful and comfortable retirement.”  

The financial planning courses at UGA provided new insights and a way to better understand the needs of individuals and families who are striving to meet financial goals. Because she has met the CFP Board’s education requirement by completing the UGA online masters financial planning program, Wilton was able to sit for the Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®) exam in November. She passed the exam on her first try. She attributes her success, in part, on the great foundation she gained from the online courses at UGA. 

Wilton recently started working at a financial planning firm and will begin meeting with clients in August when she is officially registered. She plans on spending the rest of her career helping people set and reach their goals and dreams.

 

Learn more about UGA’s Master of Science in Financial Planning online.