Celebrating the 2025 LearnLux CFP® Exam Opportunity Scholarship Winners

LearnLux, the leading provider of trusted workplace financial wellbeing, is proud to announce the 2025 CFP^® Exam Opportunity Scholarship winners, Melissa George and Daniel Martinez. Due to rising demand, the scholarship has again been awarded to two highly deserving applicants.

This scholarship program aims to empower underrepresented individuals from any socioeconomic background who aspire to earn their Certified Financial Planner^® certification. The program is designed to increase the diversity of race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, and ability within the financial planning profession and the financial wellbeing space as a whole.  

Promoting Diversity in the Financial Wellbeing Industry

In 2024, the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Inc. (CFP Board) reported a milestone year of growth and diversity among CFP^® professionals. The total number of CFP^® professionals reached a record high of 103,093, reflecting a 4.3% increase over 2023.

The class of 2024 welcomed 6,541 new CFP^® professionals, with 57% under the age of 35. This was the most diverse class in CFP Board history, including 1,720 women and more than 10,000 racially and ethnically diverse professionals overall, marking a diversity growth rate of 8.8%, twice the overall growth of the profession.

The commitment to diversity by the CFP Board, supported by initiatives such as the LearnLux CFP^® Exam Opportunity Scholarship, aims to better serve the financial wellbeing goals of employers and employees alike. This dedication is crucial for meeting the growing demand for financial planning services and ensuring access to highly credentialed and ethical financial planners.

About The LearnLux CFP® Opportunity Scholarship

The LearnLux CFP^® Exam Opportunity Scholarship is awarded annually and supports recipients to sit for the CFP^® exam within 18 months. Recipients join a growing network of LearnLux financial planner professionals and fellow awardees who are making their mark in the financial wellbeing industry.

“We believe it’s our responsibility to foster greater belonging and representation within the financial wellbeing industry,” says Rebecca Liebman, CEO and Co-Founder of LearnLux. “As the number of CFP^® professionals surpasses 100,000 for the first time and diversity in the profession continues to grow, we’re proud to contribute through the LearnLux CFP^® Exam Opportunity Scholarship. This year, we’re thrilled to support two exceptional recipients whose work reflects excellence, community impact, and a commitment to inclusion in financial planning. Their missions inspire us, and their leadership strengthens the future of our industry.”

To celebrate this year’s scholarship winners, we spoke with Melissa and Daniel to learn about their aspirations, careers so far, and what winning the scholarship means to them.  

‍Melissa and Daniel, congrats on being the 2025 recipients of the LearnLux CFP® Exam Opportunity Scholarship. Tell us a bit about yourselves, and your career so far.

Melissa: As the first woman of color to receive the Certified Financial Fiduciary^® designation, I understand firsthand the importance of representation and credibility in this industry.  For years, I’ve been passionate about helping women, particularly women of color, improve their financial literacy, grow their confidence, and take ownership of their financial futures. I’ve spoken in classrooms, mentored young professionals, and advised successful businesswomen who still struggle to understand their wealth. I do this work not just as a financial professional but as a woman who has witnessed how financial uncertainty can shape lives. While I already hold several credentials, including the AIF^®, CF2^®, and CFS^® designations, becoming a CFP^® would further solidify my commitment to fiduciary standards and comprehensive planning. I believe financial planning is more than just numbers. It’s behavioral, emotional, and deeply personal. Through this lens, I incorporate principles of behavioral finance into my work every day, blending logic and empathy to guide clients through life’s uncertainties. 

Daniel: I was raised by a single mother in a family of eight, and we lived in extreme poverty. Growing up, financial insecurity was a constant source of stress, confusion, and limitation. I witnessed firsthand the emotional and physical toll that a lack of financial literacy and resources can have on a family. But rather than let those circumstances define me, I use them as fuel to create change. That fire continues to burn in me, not just to uplift my own life and my family’s, but to be a guiding light for others navigating the same struggles. As a proud member of both the LGBTQ and Hispanic communities, representation is a crucial part of my mission. These identities have shaped my worldview, inspiring me to advocate for others who may feel unseen or underrepresented in the financial services industry. I want to demonstrate to other queer and Latinx individuals that they not only belong in this field but can thrive in it, and make a powerful difference while doing so. I believe that financial empowerment is one of the most effective tools for breaking cycles of poverty and creating long-term stability. Through this profession, I aim to serve people who come from backgrounds like mine, those who may not see financial planning as accessible or even possible for them. By being someone they can relate to and trust, I hope to make financial education feel less intimidating and more empowering. My goal is to build a career centered on empathy, trust, and service, where I can help individuals understand their worth, make informed decisions, and pursue their dreams without fear or shame.

How will the LearnLux CFP^® Opportunity Scholarship support you in your career endeavors?

Melissa: Winning the LearnLux CFP^® Exam Scholarship is both an honor and a powerful stepping stone in my journey as a financial planner committed to closing the wealth gap, especially for women of color. Earning the CFP^® mark will give me the authority and confidence to continue breaking barriers, and to bring others along with me. With the LearnLux scholarship, I can focus more on preparing for the CFP^® exam and less on the cost, allowing me to better serve the communities that need me most. This scholarship also affirms the importance of making financial planning accessible, inclusive, and human-centered. It is a meaningful recognition of where I’ve been and a boost toward where I’m going: transforming lives, shifting mindsets, and paving a path for more women of color to succeed in wealth management.

Daniel: My determination to become a CFP^® is rooted in a desire to educate, uplift, and walk alongside individuals and families as they build stronger financial foundations. Receiving the LearnLux CFP^® Exam Scholarship brings me one step closer to making this vision a reality. Preparing for and passing the CFP^® exam is a critical milestone on this path, but the financial barrier to entry is significant. This scholarship relieves that burden and allows me to focus fully on my studies, knowing that I have support behind me. Ultimately, this opportunity not only helps me achieve my professional goals, it amplifies my ability to serve others. I am committed to building a future where more families can experience financial peace, where more people from marginalized communities can access quality guidance, and where no one feels alone on their financial journey.

Congratulations, Melissa and Daniel! To learn more or apply for the LearnLux CFP^® Opportunity Scholarship, visit https://info.learnlux.com/apply-for-the-learnlux-cfp-scholarship.

To learn more about the CFP^® Board's certification process, visit: https://www.cfp.net/get-certified/certification-process