Amy Guerich creates a fund to provide financial assistance to faculty.
K-State means family and future to Amy Guerich. With family in the area, plus growing up rooting for K-State football, Amy knew that K-State was the place she wanted to be. A meeting with Pat Bosco, dean of students, at a K-State Alumni Association “Just for Juniors” event sealed the deal. According to Amy, “His energy really resonated with me and I couldn’t wait to get to campus and be part of the family.”
It was during a summer accounting class that Amy heard someone talk about the Personal Financial Planning (PFP) program. After meeting with Dr. Bosco and the program director, Amy enrolled in PFP and completely changed the trajectory of her professional future.
As a member of the Personal Financial Planning advisory board, Amy saw firsthand the significance of maintaining top-notch faculty members who may otherwise be hired away by other universities. She wants to promote and encourage faculty retention. “Scholarships are popular, everyone understands the need for scholarships,” Amy said. “However, we need the best trained faculty, doing the latest and greatest in research and being the best educators in order to recruit good students and to help those students to prepare for careers in firms like ours at Stepp & Rothwell.”
Amy believes that as a recipient of a K-State education and being a part of the Wildcat family, she has a responsibility to help facilitate opportunities for current and future students. She is the first person in her immediate family to graduate with a four-year degree and believes that having a college education opens so many doors that a student wouldn’t otherwise have.
“When I made the decision to attend K-State, I entered into this amazing family of Wildcats (both on and off campus) who were there to mentor, support and guide me.” Amy said. “I had some of the best educators who helped me get through school, even when I wasn’t always the best student.” In the 13 years since Amy graduated, she is still extremely active with the university, including serving as a guest speaker at campus events. Amy is a partner with the financial planning firm, Stepp & Rothwell, Inc. She and her company have a vested interest in the success of the students.
If someone is considering a gift to K-State, Amy encourages them to think about what initiatives and programs speak to them or what they really benefited from while at K-State. “Get to know the development officers who are assigned to your area of interest,” advises Amy. “They can connect you to initiatives you’re interested in and help determine how investing in K-State’s success can fit into your lifestyle and financial plan.”
