Emily Meyer served as a bank teller in her hometown of Bowling Green, Mo., for nearly three years while in high school, developing a passion for numbers and for helping others.
When she made the decision to attend the University of Missouri, Meyer knew the personal financial planning degree program would allow her expand on those passions. As Meyer, a senior, finishes her final semester as a Tiger, she has definitely made the most of her time in Columbia. Along with increasing her knowledge base related to finances, Meyer has been very involved, including an internship that has helped set her up for the future.
Meyer has already accepted a full-time job with J.P. Morgan, which she will begin in July.
“The people I’ve met and the professors I’ve learned from who have helped get me to this point – I’ll forever be grateful for Mizzou,” Meyer said. “I had the thought of possibly applying to another university with a personal financial planning program. But MU was always where my heart was. When I first stepped on campus, I knew I was in the right place. It has been my home away from home.”
Meyer was familiar with MU from a young age, as her father earned a food science and nutrition degree from the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) and brought both of his children to multiple Tiger sporting events during their youth.
“Columbia felt like a second home, we were here so often,” Meyer said.
Meyer got involved on campus right away, joining the Mizzou Financial Planning Association (FPA) as a freshman. It’s an organization that she is currently the president of.
“I honestly went to my first meeting on a whim – and I’m so glad that I did,” Meyer said. “Through FPA, I was able to talk to professionals in my field of interest and learn more about their experiences.
“I’m very proud to represent the organization throughout campus as the president. I love the team I get to work with and the opportunities that we have to connect with professionals who we can seek advice from.”
Along with being a president of FPA, Meyer is president of Phi Beta Lambda, a professional business organization dedicated to bringing business and education together in a positive working relationship through innovative leadership and career development programs. Meyer is also an admission ambassador for the Mizzou Admissions Outreach Team and a member of Trulaske President’s Council.
“I’ve found some of my most meaningful relationships through these organizations,” Meyer said. “It’s been such a blessing to meet so many great people.”
It was through the personal financial planning degree program that Meyer was able to find her internship. For the past two years, Meyer has been a senior wealth management intern with Sundvold Financial in Columbia.
“This internship has given me such a great hands-on learning opportunity,” Meyer said. “What I have learned in the classroom has been vital as I’ve worked clients in this internship. It’s really propelled me forward.”
The primary focus of Meyer’s work is on data, analytics and inputs. As she’s gained more experience, Meyer has also been tasked with more duties. She recently started working on a financial plan for a new client.
“What I appreciate most about this opportunity is that my work matters,” Meyer said. “People use what I’m working on to help them make the best financial decisions for themselves and their family. It’s incredibly rewarding.”
Meyer said building relationships with clients has been a valuable part of her internship experience.
“I love finance, but one of the things that really drew me to personal financial planning was helping others,” Meyer said. “Having the chance to met with clients on a regular basis; it’s something that I wanted to do.”
Meyer’s internship experience with Sundvold touches on experiential learning, a key part of the RISE Initiative. The RISE Initiative states that all CAFNR undergraduate students will take part in at least one signature experience while on campus: Research, International, Service Learning and Experiential Learning. Experiential learning offers students real-world learning experiences outside of the classroom, through industry engagement, internship programs and learning laboratories.
Meyer said that the internship opportunity, in addition to her involvement at Mizzou, played a critical role in her securing a job with J.P. Morgan.
“I really think my experience with Sundvold set me apart,” Meyer said. “The internship opportunity helped me become a more well-rounded individual. It also allowed me to grow in building those personal relationships with clients.”
After graduating in May, Meyer will head to Plano, Texas, where she will be part of the financial advisor development program with J.P. Morgan. She’ll be in Plano for two years, where she’ll continue to work on developing and refining her financial skills.
“J.P. Morgan was somewhere I’ve always wanted to work – I was just thrilled to get an interview,” Meyer said. “I’m really excited to dive even deeper into everything. This is more than just the numbers; it’s important to be able to talk about money with people without them feeling lost.”