Chris Fields has been named director of the Aggie Financial Planning Clinic Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Agricultural Economics.
Clinic, funded by A gift from the Charles Schwab FoundationWill give students practical experience while providing financial literacy and planning services to disadvantaged families in the Brazos Valley.
Fields has taught in the department financial planning program For the past two years, that has included Introduction to Personal Financial Planning, one of the largest courses in the program. he used to teach here earlier Texas A&M Mays Business School for seven years.
“There is a significant gap in access to personal financial planning in our country,” Fields said. “This clinic represents what higher education should be, identifying a need and training the next generation to create a solution.”
career of selfless service
Field earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Christian Ministry from Abilene Christian University and became a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy through the American College of Financial Services. Field is also a Chartered Consultant in Philanthropy.
His background is rooted in philanthropy, having founded two Bryan-College Station nonprofits.
One of those nonprofits is the Mercy Project, an international organization that works anti-human trafficking through economic development in Ghana, Africa. The second is the College Station Marathon, a running event that raises funds for the Mercy Project and other locally-based nonprofits.
Additionally, he was the former Chief Development Officer of HolisticPlan, a tax planning software company focused on the financial planning sector.
Tiered, real-world learning model
Field said the clinic will allow students to make real-world applications from the classroom.
Following a competitive application process, students will progress through four levels of responsibility; giving financial literacy presentations in group settings; One-on-one budget coaching; Overview with certified financial planners; And finally, as paid student interns. In the final level, they will help manage clinic operations and assist families in developing and delivering financial plans.
The clinic plans to begin full operations this fall. The aim is to make it the largest student-run financial planning clinic in the country, Fields said.
The clinic will initially partner with Bryan-College Station access project, Which serves students and families facing financial hardships. By working through established community relationships, clinic leaders plan to build trust and provide practical tools and guidance where they are needed most.
Field said the clinic reflects Texas A&M’s commitment to serving others.
“Our students gain real, supervised experience, and our community gains access to resources that might otherwise be out of reach,” he said. “This is what being a force for good looks like.”
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