his own chief financial officer
Jonah Shafer’s experience at the Haworth College of Business as a personal financial planning student has been filled with inspiring moments and the passion to create meaningful and informative experiences for others.
“My attraction to the personal financial planning major started when I first started living on my own,” he says. “During that year I learned the hard way about earning and expenses. I began to spend time creating a budget for myself and finding a healthy fiscal lifestyle. This budget has helped me through my years at WMU, and I have had the opportunity to share it with others.”
This passion to inspire others to take care of their own finances is something Shafer not only learned on his own, but also from faculty he encountered during his program.
One of his many experiences at WMU has been as an undergraduate research assistant for Dr. Matthew Ross, assistant professor of finance. Shafer primarily works with Ross’s Cash & Careers tool, a project aimed at helping young adults make wise human capital investment decisions. Ross agrees that Shafer’s passion for personal finance shines through in everything he does.
“In his research assistant role, Jonah shares his interest and passion for personal finance by helping make the Cash & Careers tool easier to use,” says Ross. “He understands the value of having a financial plan and is passionate about guiding his fellow students toward informed decisions about their futures.”
Shafer’s passion led him to personal finance and the job offers followed. During his senior year, Shafer entertained multiple job offers and is working hard at mapping out his future plans. And what still drives his decisions is the passion he has for personal financial planning.