My name is Abenezer Bayou. I'm a first generation college student. Currently, I'm a senior studying Finance & Economics. I chose my field of study because I have a passion for financial markets, I'm intensely intrigued by different macroeconomic principles, and I believe the courses this field has to offer gives great exposure to different business structures. I was able to acquire a handful of skillsets, which consist of both technical and soft skills. As a freshman, I thought, what specific program within business would be hardest to learn on my own. I believed Accounting, Finance or Economics would be the toughest major to take on within the college of business. I decided to take a major that had both Finance and Economics because it encapsulated Accounting courses along with other Fin/Econ courses. How do I plan to make a difference in the world or the workforce? I plan to make a difference in several ways. My vision is to serve Christ and others by implementing sustainable solutions for poverty in underdeveloped, oppressed, and less fortunate communities across the globe. My mission is to spread the gospel by the means of alleviating the financial and economic pressures that impoverished communities face. Through the creation of a business/non-profit, I aspire to fund free enterprise, increase access to education, and remove agricultural barriers so that the cyclicity of socioeconomic inequalities along with the burdens of exploitation can be broken. As a preface, to stating an overall strategy, it is important to understand that strategy is subject to change. Since time, resources, and people are significant factors in which strategy is influenced by, strategy changes because those factors don’t always remain constant. One goal I have is to work closely with a non-profit organization. Some non-profits that would provide substansial experience and education would be Oxfam, United Nation Development Program, and The Borgen Project. By being involved in the everyday motions of these organizations, I’d enhance my knowledge on international governments, international education systems, and different resolutions to poverty initiated by other groups. Another goal I’d like to achieve is pursuing higher education at a prestigious university where I can learn more about international economic structures. The idea is to pursue higher education so that I can understand international markets and global issues at higher level, but also network simultaneously so that knowledge, opportunities, and experience can be broadened. I believe networking is essential to efficiently strategizing as well as getting extensive exposure to multiple business avenues. I'd like to acquire a job in investment management, corporate finance, asset management, or private equity. I think these types of jobs will not only help me generate wealth, but also teach me skills that will be very useful when endeavoring a personal business or non-profit. This ties in with my overall strategy because it will allow for personal financial stability and give even additional personal experience with free enterprise. To ensure that I reach my vision and achieve my mission, I share my ideas with mentors and friends. This is very beneficial because there is a sense of accountability and also advice that I will receive from people I know now and from people I will know in the future. Being transparent about goals, progression, and the lack thereof can ultimately allow me to keep a close monitoring. Getting involved with church ministries and non-profit work can help ensure that I reach my vision and achieve my mission for several reasons. Being involved will keep vision and mission on the forefront of my mind and it will also serve me in an educational fashion. Not being involved can leave room for a loss of focus since most time consumption will be allotted to school or work. Although both of those things are huge helping factors in the plan, I can be sidetracked on the day-to-day activities. The vision and mission are always the big picture, but in order to be successful, I have to develop a mindset that makes those things the small picture too. By that, I mean that I need to think of vision and mission when I am just going through the motions. In the process of growth and time passing, there will surely be new facets of understanding, new mentors, and new colleagues. As previously mentioned, strategy is subject to change so there will definitely be modifications made. Plans and strategies will constantly be revised, and modifications will take place accordingly. The vision, mission, and values that I have outlined will create a competitive advantage for me in the job market. A consulting group, a tech company, or a financial firm are all places that have positions that could use someone who thinks analytically, works creatively, and is eager to collaborate with others. A leader of a business could use these same elements to create a competitive advantage in the industry because many companies have Corporate Social Responsibility teams and Environmental Social Governance teams. These teams focus on the respective company’s ability to serve its communities, employees, and its environment. I believe someone like me could help a business be eco-friendly, steward its resources well, and create strong alliances with many social groups in order to push for equality. This will create a competitive advantage for this organization because these elements are starting to mean more every day and the sooner organizations genuinely prioritize these elements, the sooner they will be able to get an edge. My vision and mission statements have revealed some of my foundational identity to myself even though I have always known what I want to do. No matter what avenue or route I decide to take, I believe that I can cater my professional goals to my vision and mission. My aspirations excite me, and I find passion in problem solving. Although almost everything is subject to change, a strong foundational identity built upon Christ should be more than enough to steer me in the right direction.