When discussing what drove their interest in a career path in wealth management, University of Delaware seniors Natalie Radebaugh and Giacomo D’Alessandro both said it combined their two passions: finance and helping people.
“I’ve always been good at math, I’m pretty outgoing and love meeting new people,” said Radebaugh, on track to earn an honors degree as a finance and financial planning and wealth management double major with a minor in trust management. “One meeting can be the difference from (clients) being able to send their kid to college or staying financially afloat after losing a loved one or being able to retire without worrying about every penny.”
So that’s what drove me to personal finance, the fact that you can have such a big impact on people.”
D’Alessandro also emphasized the ability to meet clients directly as something that drew him to the profession.
“After growing up in my father’s masonry business, I knew I wanted a people-centric career in finance or banking,” said D’Alessandro, also a double major in finance and financial planning and wealth management.
“From my internships in trust and wealth management, to meeting Rich (Jakotowicz, associate instructor of finance and director of the financial planning and wealth management program), I realized the way I could combine my two passions, people and finance, was to become a financial advisor. It felt like a perfect fit.”
Radebaugh and D’Alessandro have been gaining real-world experience this semester by working in the new, state-of-the-art Financial Planning Center, located on the fourth floor of the FinTech Innovation Hub, through a partnership with UD’s Alfred Lerner College of Business & Economics and the Charles Schwab Foundation.
The center was officially christened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on November 14 and included remarks from Jakotowicz, Lerner College Dean Oliver Yao, and Schwab Advisor Services Senior Relationship Manager John Barriga. It concluded with a fireside chat between Radebaugh and Liz Ann Sonders, a UD alum and chief investment strategist with the Schwab Center for Financial Research.
Lerner Double Dels Andy and Jean Panko, who have provided ongoing financial support of the center, also attended the ceremony.
“Today we’re celebrating something that’s more than just the opening of a new space — it’s a celebration of progress, of partnership, and of the incredible learning experiences that define Lerner,” said Yao. “The new Financial Planning Center truly brings that vision to life. It’s a place where students can apply what they’ve learned and gain hands-on experience that prepares them for meaningful careers and real-world impact.”
“With UD’s financial planning program, this is the perfect opportunity to help students get hands-on experience with coaching, counseling, working with others and talking through financial planning topics,” Andy Panko said. “As an alum of UD, it’s been great to see how much the program has grown and how active it’s become. This is a great opportunity to help out not just through my involvement as an advisory panel member, but with the actual center, so I wanted to contribute and be a part of it.”
Thanks to the foundation’s commitment, UD students and employees have the opportunity to receive free financial coaching from Radebaugh and D’Alessandro, along with either Jakotowicz or fellow certified financial planner and UD employee Caleb Ray.
Students can receive peer-to-peer coaching on student loan repayment strategies, purchasing insurance, investing in a 401(k), and other key financial decisions as they prepare for life following graduation.
UD employees can receive one-on-one professional coaching to discuss areas such as retirement planning, investing, and tax planning.
“The center will do great things for UD financial planning students, as well as the broader UD community, which will now have an on-campus resource to educate them on various topics within financial planning,” Jakotowicz said. “It also gives our financial planning students experience that is as real-world as it gets.”
Radebaugh and D’Alessandro, who are currently combining to offer six hours per week in the center, both credited Lerner classes for preparing them for the role.
“Understanding the estate planning side of things as a college student is a huge advantage,” Radebaugh said, noting that a lot of financial planners must learn those concepts once they’re in the industry because they’re not taught at many colleges.
“Being able to have the estate planning, insurance planning, and retirement planning knowledge from my classes has really allowed me to focus on the client interactions in face-to-face meetings.”
D’Alessandro also mentioned the estate, insurance and retirement planning classes providing critical information for Lerner students, especially for him dealing with older clients.
“For faculty, if they already have a 403(b), maybe they want to roll it into an IRA,” he said. “If they’re considering retirement, what are their social security benefits? So for them it’s a lot of maximizing investments.”
Radebaugh, who interned with Corient Private Wealth the past two summers and will be returning in a full-time position next year as an associate wealth planner, also mentioned the software she is already using as giving her a leg up entering the future role.
“The internships mixed with my classes have given me great experience and prepared me for the professional world,” she said. “The software we’re using in the center includes the most common planning software programs used across the board. So giving us the experience to be comfortable with those and learning how to present them to clients now is a huge advantage, and something most people don’t get to do until they’re a couple years into the industry.”
Both students emphasized the importance of Jackowitz’s and Ray’s mentorship, along with the Lerner professors in their majors.
“These teachers are very passionate about the field and want to see us continue learning and growing, so the classes have been incredibly beneficial, and overall the school has prepared me for this role,” D’Alessandro said.
“The financial planning program that Rich has structured sets you up extremely well,” Radebaugh added. “He’s involved in so much and having him and Caleb to learn from as mentors and teachers in this program is so valuable.”
The knowledge gained in the classroom, mentorship from professors and real-world experience at the center have given both students a head start as they embark on their post-graduation careers.
“(Financial planning) is so rewarding,” Radebaugh said. “It’s a selfless profession; it’s something that when you enjoy it and other people are grateful for your help, you get to see the tangible benefits and impacts you’re having in their lives. It’s absolutely incredible.”
UD students or employees interested in receiving professional coaching can schedule a meeting here.