The NAIFA Foundation for Financial Security is pleased to announce that Gregory Jean Baptiste and Brooke Bastiaans-Brooks are recipients of the inaugural NAIFA Foundation Diversity Scholarship.

Jean Baptiste holds a bachelor’s degree in business management with an emphasis in finance from Brigham Young University-Idaho and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in financial planning and analytics at Utah Valley University. A first-generation Haitian immigrant, Jean Baptiste knows the value of a solid financial plan and is motivated to help all Americans achieve financial security. He is currently employed at a Wells Fargo branch in Lindon, UT.

Bastiaans-Brooks holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing from The Master's University in Santa Clarita, CA, as well as a master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in finance from Kaplan Business School. She is licensed in life, health, and accident insurance and holds the Series 7 and 66 securities licenses. She is currently employed as a new business consultant with Proxy Financial in Irvine, CA.

“The NAIFA Foundation is proud to support these two excellent students and help them advance in the early stages of their professional development,” said NAIFA President Bryon Holz, CLU, ChFC, LUTCF, CASL, LACP. “By giving Gregory Jean Baptiste and Brooke Bastiaans-Brooks and students like them access to NAIFA resources, career-development financial assistance, and mentoring opportunities, the NAIFA Foundation is fostering the next generation of financial professionals and promoting financial security for all.”

Jean Baptiste and Bastiaans-Brooks will receive two years of NAIFA membership, professional support and mentoring from NAIFA members, and complimentary tuition for continuing education, including pre-licensing training and securities exam prep. They also receive complimentary tuition for NAIFA’s Leadership in Life Institute.

Jean Baptiste and Bastiaans-Brooks will also participate in NAIFA’s 8th Annual Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Symposium and NAIFA’s Annual Congressional Conference in Washington, D.C., on May 22-23. The symposium features some of the industry’s leading DEI thought leaders and provides participants with a forum to discuss strategies for creating and promoting diversity in the financial services industry. The program also serves as a resource for insurance and financial professionals in NAIFA's mission to provide financial security for all Americans.

Combining the DEI Symposium with NAIFA’s highly popular Congressional Conference makes the event more accessible and provides a greater opportunity for financial professionals to participate. Registrations for the DEI Symposium and Congressional Conference are now open.

NAIFA created the NAIFA Foundation for Financial Security in 2022 to grow the number of ethical financial services professionals to better serve American households and small businesses. By increasing the pool of practicing advisors, the Foundation advances financial literacy and promotes financial security among all Americans with an emphasis on traditionally underserved and underrepresented populations.