AFCPE Announces 2025 Award Recipients, Honoring Excellence in the field of Financial Education
AFCPE Announces 2025 Award Recipients, Honoring Excellence in the field of Financial Education
WESTERVILLE, OHIO January 14, 2025 — The Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education® (AFCPE®) proudly honored outstanding individuals and initiatives during the 2025 AFCPE Symposium, held November 18-20 in Phoenix–Glendale, Arizona. The annual awards recognize exceptional contributions to financial education, research, and practice that advance AFCPE’s mission of improving financial well-being for all. The awards were presented during the 2025 AFCPE Symposium, which welcomed more than 700 in-person and virtual attendees.
“We are honored to celebrate this year’s AFCPE Award recipients,” AFCPE Executive Director Rachael DeLoen said. “These individuals, programs, and initiatives reflect the diverse and meaningful ways our community is driving positive change through financial education, research, and practice – creating lasting and meaningful impact on the financial well-being of individuals, families, and communities nationwide.”
The 2025 award recipients included:
Setting the Standard: The Financial Therapy Clinical Institute (FTCI)
FTCI provides accessible, trauma-informed financial services that integrate behavioral science, financial education, and clinical insight. The organization trains Accredited Financial Counselor® (AFC® professionals), financial planners, and mental health practitioners to support clients not just with budgets and credit but with the underlying emotional and relational challenges that often impact financial behavior.
Mary O’Neill Mini Grant: Plootus
Title: “The Plootus 21-Day Financial Habits Challenge”
The Plootus 21-Day Financial Habits Challenge will deliver evidence-based daily micro-actions to build sustainable financial wellness habits among individuals from under-resourced and underserved communities. Through strategic partnerships with professional organizations and employers, the program will provide participants with practical tools for budgeting, saving, debt management, and emergency planning while creating a replicable model for nationwide implementation by AFCPE® members.
Mary Ellen Edmondson Educator of the Year: Jose Medina DBAc, MBA, CPFC, CEPF, CCFP
José Medina is a financial educator with over three decades of experience helping individuals and communities transform their relationship with money. As the founder of Finanzas al Máximo, he has created innovative programs such as SAFE (Financial Wellness for Employees) and developed the Certified Personal Finance Consultant certification program, both implemented in credit unions and nonprofit organizations. He has trained 618 certified financial coaches and has impacted thousands through his workshops, mentorship, and social media platforms. He is also the founder of the first Institute of Personal Finance and the developer of educational platforms through his website www.finanzasalmaximo.com.
His approach is holistic—combining specialized financial knowledge with personal development, emotional intelligence, and spiritual values. His presence on Telemundo’s Día a Día and his weekly radio show have positioned him as a trusted and compassionate voice in the world of financial education. José doesn’t just teach how to manage money; he teaches how to live with purpose, dignity, and freedom. His work exemplifies what it means to educate with impact and social commitment.
Financial Counselor of the Year: Alisa Nguyen Allebest, AFC®
Alisa Nguyen Allebest, AFC®, is a passionate and highly skilled financial counselor, educator, and mentor. After navigating the financial challenges of her own divorce, Alisa returned to school and earned her degree in financial counseling and financial planning from Utah Valley University, where she now serves as the Assistant Director of the Money Success Center. As an AFC®, Alisa is known for her empathy, technical skill, and commitment to creating empowering experiences for both clients and student Coaches. She has helped lead her team to more than 1,000 one-on-one appointments and 5,000 student engagements annually, and she has coached three UVU teams to first-place wins in the national AFCPE Knowledge Bowl.
Alisa is also the founder of Dauntless Financial Coaching, where she helps women affected by divorce build financial confidence and independence. Her mission is to help every woman feel safe, secure, and capable of creating an abundant future. Whether in a classroom, a coaching session, or a conference room, Alisa brings warmth, wisdom, and integrity to every interaction.
Outstanding Educational Program: Financial Field Trips Corp.
Financial Field Trips Corp is a Maryland-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit transforming the way financial education is delivered. Founded by Whitney Ramirez, a former public-school teacher, AFC candidate, and current Department of Defense (DoD) contractor, the program combines traditional instruction with immersive field trips to banks, car dealerships, apartment complexes, and other locations. This experiential model increases retention, builds confidence, and empowers youth and underserved communities to act toward financial independence.
Our slogan, “We Are on The Road to Riches,” reflects both our literal approach—traveling to real-world financial destinations—and our deeper mission to guide participants toward lifelong economic empowerment. It resonates with today’s youth by reframing wealth-building as a journey they can begin now, with the right tools and exposure.
Outstanding Financial Counseling/Planning Center: The Columbus Financial Empowerment Center (FEC), operated by Jewish Family Services
The Columbus Financial Empowerment Center (FEC), operated by Jewish Family Services, provides free, professional one-on-one financial counseling to adults across central Ohio, with a focused commitment to serving women. Grounded in the legacy of service at JFS and the nationally recognized Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund model, the FEC delivers trauma-informed, client-centered financial guidance that is personalized, practical, and accessible. Services are offered in person at trusted community sites, as well as virtually or by phone, to meet clients where they are.
Counselors invest significant time in building trust, co-creating financial goals, and following up with tailored support after each session. The FEC’s approach is flexible, adapting to individual learning styles and addressing both urgent and long-term financial needs. Embedded within a broad ecosystem of social services and supported by over 100 referral partners, the FEC is deeply integrated into the community and public initiatives, including housing stabilization and reentry services.
With a focus on empowerment, responsiveness, and equity, the Columbus FEC consistently delivers high-impact services that build financial confidence and long-term stability. Its model is replicable, collaborative, and rooted in the belief that everyone deserves access to high-quality, judgment-free financial counseling.
Outstanding Consumer Financial Information: Kate Horrell AFC®, ChFC® and MQFP®
Title: Overcoming Financial Trauma
Kate Horrell is an Accredited Financial Counselor®, Chartered Financial Consultant®, and Military Qualified Financial Planner®, as well as the founder of Kings High Media, and creator of the Confidently Prepared™ Life Binder for military families. As a financial educator, military spouse, and now veteran spouse, she has personal experience in all the things our military and veteran families experience. Ms. Horrell specializes in presenting complicated topics in plain language, and putting the information together in a way that makes it easy to understand.
Kate Horrell’s book, “College Finances for Military Families” provides an easy-to-read, easy-to-understand, yet comprehensive guide to piecing together the many military and veteran’s education benefits to create a strategic college funding plan. Where most people think of college funding as a “someday” problem, Ms. Horrell offers a clear map through the maze, while acknowledging that each family may have unique needs or situations that will necessitate different strategies. By taking a clear-eyed look at the resources, Ms. Horrell offers families a way to make the most of their education benefits – getting more bang for their buck out of each program. way that makes it easy to understand.
Outstanding Research Journal Article of the Year
Title: “The Effect of Scarcity and Information Avoidance on Debt Management Behavior”
Authors: Kinga Barrafrem, Mario Kienzler, Daniel Västfjäll, Gustav Tinghög
Insight to Impact Grant: Jodi Kaus, Director of Program Implementation, Sara Ray, Principal Consultant, Zach Taylor, Director of Data and Analytics
Project: Peer PowerED Financial Wellness
This project represents a new research to practice collaboration between the grant team, two universities, a minority serving four-year institution, a community college and a framework of peer financial wellness mentors at both institutions.
To learn more about the AFCPE awards and recipients, visit www.afcpe.org/membership/awards.
About AFCPE®
The Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education® (AFCPE®) is dedicated to certifying, educating, and supporting financial professionals to serve as qualified motivators of change for individuals pursuing their life goals, regardless of their financial history. The Accredited Financial Counselor® (AFC®) credential is accredited by The National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) and nationally recognized by the Department of Defense (also known as the Department War) and the CFPB. Please visit www.afcpe.org.
Comments are closed.