Westminster to Wall Street: Financial Planning and Finance Major is Empowered by Blue Blazers Trip to New York

Picture this: Exactly 24 Midwestern college students land at LaGuardia Airport and descend on Manhattan one cold February morning, bringing with them exactly 24 preconceived notions of New York, a bit of wide-eyed fascination and numerous big dreams.

Does this description sound like the makings of a movie in the same comedic genre as Home Alone 2: Lost in New York? On the contrary, this scenario is actually the 12^th biennial trip to Wall Street for Westminster’s Blue Blazers Investment Committee. And nobody got lost. The young investors did, however, have the experience of a lifetime.

For Kerrick Adkins, ’25 ΦΔΘ, who is double majoring in financial planning and finance, being on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange and meeting with high-profile financial professionals throughout the five-day trip made his studies come to life. The experience also expanded the horizons for the Westminster senior, whose hometown of Dover, Missouri, boasts a population of 83 individuals.

“Before this experience, working in a major financial center or such a fast-paced environment felt almost like a distant dream, but this this trip showed me that it’s absolutely possible with the right knowledge, skills and connections,” he says.

The connections to which Adkins is referring involve professionals from Bloomberg, Franklin Templeton, GQG Partners, J.P. Morgan, Wells Fargo Advisors and others, including New York-area Westminster alumni and friends, who agreed to meet with the Blue Blazers in a series of personalized events throughout the trip.*

Most surprising to many was an on-the-spot segment with Fox Business’ Charles Payne, who delivered the College’s 2024 commencement address. The host of Making Money surprised the Blue Blazers with an on-camera Q&A segment featuring the Westminster team and a warm reflection regarding the College four days later on the show.

“We thought we would watch a taping for 30 minutes,” reflects alumnus Brock Ayers, ’82 ΔΤΔ, who has coordinated the Blue Blazers trip since its inception in 2001 (read more about the origins of the trip here and here). “But the next thing we knew, they had brought in a camera crew of four people and just started filming.

Ayers points out that economist Brian Wesbury, who introduced Payne during commencement and has visited Westminster on other occasions, also gave the College a shoutout on a Fox Business segment the next week.

Not only that, Westminster’s logo was splashed across Nasdaq’s massive, six-story digital billboard, which boldly featured the College’s signature navy blue and white colors and the message, “Nasdaq Welcomes Westminster College Blue Blazers to the Nasdaq MarketSite.”

The small college truly made a big impact in the Big Apple and on the Westminster students.

“This trip reinforced my passion for finance and financial planning while broadening my perspective on career opportunities in the industry, and it inspired me to seek opportunities where I can continuously grow,” reflects Adkins, who soon will be sitting for the CFP® exam and applying for jobs in his field, fortified with newfound confidence made possible by the Blue Blazers’ New York trip. “It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will never forget.”

*Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC.