“Connecting Personal Experiences and Academic Goals: My Journey to Pursuing a Finance Degree in Gies Business” “From Childhood Translations to Future Financial Success: My Path to a Finance Degree in Gies Business”

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PROFESSIONAL: How do your current academic interests, professional goals, and strengths fit with your requested major in Gies Business? In what ways do you hope to explore areas of growth and develop professionally?* 
My parents illegally came to America for a better life. Like many immigrants, their limited English prevented them from understanding the American financial system. Since I had to translate things I didn’t understand, my childhood was different. I remember translating my father’s business tax paperwork when I was 10, but I always cried because I didn’t have the financial literacy to help him understand and saw his overwhelmed face. I read a library book about the American financial system and improved my translation and explanation to my father, even though I didn’t understand many concepts. I became interested in finance after reviewing financial statements and learning accounting. This profound experience inspired me to study business to become an investment banker.
I joined the ERA to meet investment banking enthusiasts and create a financial statement and stock pitch for Gies professors while juggling my campus involvement and course schedule. This experience deepened my interest in finance, taught me to analyze complex statements and value stocks, and improved my teamwork and leadership. Seeing everyone’s industry knowledge and passion inspired me to work in investment banking. I taught Macroeconomics and Microeconomics in my second semester at ERA, sharing my knowledge. This showed me how my finance major could help marginalized communities. Teaching others deepened my understanding and showed me how powerful it is. I realized that understanding the American financial system could improve my community’s lives and education, especially my father’s. This realization motivates me to use my skills to help others.
In the future I hope to work with an international company to learn about their  financial strategies. I want to excel in financial management by analyzing finances and making smart investments. My finance degree will improve my expertise, problem-solving, and leadership. Cross-functional teamwork and leadership will help me apply these skills at the University of Illinois. Additionally, I want to help my community better manage their finances. To achieve this, I want to improve my financial literacy and leadership. I want to study finance and work in investment banking to help people and businesses manage their money. I also want to teach low-income communities financial literacy using my Gies finance skills.