My name is Zaughn Michael Cabrera, and I am a first-generation college graduate from the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands. Additionally, I am also Chamorro, and I was raised in a single parent blended family household. In business, Chamorro people are so underrepresented there are no reliable sources for how many business entrepreneurs are Chamorro. However, according to a statistic for Pacific Islanders (https://advocacy.sba.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/AAPI-Heritage-Month-Infographic-2.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com), there are about ninety thousand firms owned by pacific islanders in the US. I’ve been interested in business as a profession since I learned about it. Acquiring my associate in business has been a deeply educational experience. Within business, I have a particular passion for economics and investment. As a low-income student, taking macroeconomics and learning about subsidies and government spending has shown me a lot about the welfare programs I participate in and why it is important to advocate for the policies that impact my life, as well as those who are similar to me. Additionally, I’ve also learned things in business that I had no prior detailed knowledge about previously, especially in business law. Business law has taught me about commerce, insurance, and contracts within business. Before taking these courses, I only had a vague understanding of these transactions that fuel the world of business. All of these things ultimately inspire me to become a better businessperson. It is my personal goal to pursue a master’s degree in a business field once I transfer to Portland State University in 2027. I plan on using my education to come back to the island I was raised and work to do better for my people. I want to help make life easier for my people and island community because this island along with its people mean a great deal to me. They are my everything. I believe that with an advanced business degree, I am able to better advocate for more resources, better operations and management, and add to the positive externalities that my people will benefit from through my attainment of this advanced degree. Currently, my island is facing financial and economic hardship as a result of some of the executive orders that hinder the subsidies that we need due to our geographical separation from the mainland United States. Our economy is deeply reliant on tourism as it is our main source of revenue. A business degree, although personal, will impact not only my life, but the thousands of people who stay in the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands, as well as the surrounding islands within Micronesia and Oceania.