Establishing the Integris Scholarship

Integris Wealth Management is pleased to announce the establishment of the Integris Scholarship program to support students enrolled in California State University Monterey Bay’s (CSUMB) Financial Planning Track.

The Integris Wealth Management Scholarship Fund aims to foster a new generation of financial planners in Monterey County and provide qualified students with financial assistance for their tuition while enrolled in the Financial Planning Track at CSUMB. Each year, two undergraduate student applicants will be hand-selected by the professors at the CSUMB College of Business to receive the scholarship.

From left to right: Jenna Reynolds, Mike Leavy, Julia Wood, John Berube, Allison Barrientos, Kevin Mahoney

Since the launch of CSUMB’s Financial Planning Track in 2022, Integris has worked with CSUMB to support the advancement of educational programs and initiatives within this career path. The Financial Planning Track includes a Financial Planning Capstone and four courses of financial planning curriculum registered with the CFP® Board, enabling students to meet the CFP® Board of Standards education requirement and sit for the CFP® certification exam upon graduation.

Allison Barrientos, Partner and Chief Advisory Officer, shared the inspiration behind the Scholarship program and said, “When we heard that CSUMB would be adding a financial planning track to their curriculum we couldn’t wait to jump in and support the effort in any way possible. This scholarship program is a natural extension of that effort and allows us to directly impact students’ ability to complete their education with fewer financial stressors.”

“We are excited that CSUMB is developing a financial planning program right here in Monterey County. We’re thrilled to be able to support and encourage aspiring young financial planners in taking advantage of this curriculum,” said Mike Leavy, Partner and Chief Investment Officer.

When asked about why creating the Integris Scholarship program was so important to the firm, Partner and Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Mahoney said, “As financial planners ourselves, we think financial planning is a wonderful career. Our hope is that the scholarship program will elevate financial literacy in Monterey County and make college education, particularly the Financial Planning Track at CSUMB, more attainable.”

“I really hope that by encouraging and supporting these scholarship recipients at the beginning of their journey, they will continue to see this financial planning space as a collegial and welcoming community where they can connect and build long term relationships,” said Jenna Reynolds, Partner and Director of Operations.

John Berube

Integris believes education has a transformational power to help students discover a field of interest, improve career prospects, and increase income potential.

Our first scholarship recipient, John Berube, developed an interest in financial literacy after working for a man who achieved financial freedom. “I was inspired by how this person was able to support everyone in his family without any financial burden,” said John. “It led me to research everything I could to reach that financial position and when I was looking at all of my options at CSUMB, I saw the financial planning track as a way to align my education with my immediate goals.”

Julia Wood

Our second scholarship recipient, Julia Wood, originally began studying accounting because of her natural talent in math, but as she progressed through the courses, she realized she wasn’t as interested in the career as she thought she would be. After speaking to her academic advisors, she learned of the Financial Planning Track, met a financial advisor, and began investing in the stock market herself.

She quickly realized the financial planning career path aligned much better with her goals because it combined her strengths in math and her interest in working with people. “Receiving this scholarship helps support my educational goals because I’m able to focus on my studies and work less outside of school,” said Julia. “I only have to work around twice a week now, so I can use the extra time to go to tutoring, study on campus, and meet with professors more often when I need help. The scholarship also really helped me find my confidence and proved to me that I am doing well in the concentration.”

Congratulations to John and Julia! We are honored to have you as our inaugural scholarship recipients and wish you success in your studies this year.