Johnson, Pastoria to Represent University of Akron College of Business at 2025 Financial Service Professionals Career Exploration Competition
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Two University of Akron (UA) College of Business students, Anthony Johnson and Maxwell Pastoria, will represent UA at the annual Career Exploration Competition (CEC) as part of the Financial ConNEXTion Educational Cruise. The competition gives college and university student teams the opportunity to explore financial service careers.
Johnson and Pastoria will join six other teams in this unique speaking competition and compete for scholarship funds. To earn their spot, they spent months interviewing professionals and analyzing career paths, culminating in a comprehensive written solution.
The University of Akron has a strong history of participation in this competition. Notable UA alumni who have competed include:
- 2018 Team Gabrielle Mollick, Shelby Amatangelo and Kevin Kerka
- 2019 Team Brenna Paananen and Rosemarie Amore
- 2022 Team Melise Williams and Nicholas McFadden
- 2023 Team Sophia Marcum and Alexis Rossilli; Emily Dale and Alyssa St. John
- 2024 Team Alyssa St. John and Jordan Acord
The theme of the 2025 Financial ConNEXTion Educational Cruise is Navigating a Career in Financial Services. The competition is open to students majoring in financial planning, accounting, risk management and insurance, finance or law. Scholarship awards will be given to the schools of the winning teams, with the first-place team earning up to $3,500. During the oral presentations, teams will present their research and discuss how the insights gained support their career aspirations in the two fields they explored. Presenters will also engage with judges in a Q&A session.
More than just a learning experience, the Financial ConNEXTion Educational Cruise provides an opportunity to network and build relationships with industry professionals. It promotes career development and mentorship while serving as a forum for firms to recruit university students interested in financial services careers.
Story by CoB Marketing.
Media contact: Cristine Boyd, 330-972-6476 or cboyd@uakron.edu.