At Xero, we’re keen about supporting our neighborhood and serving to to form the following era of accounting and finance leaders. As a part of our latest collaboration with the Nationwide Affiliation of Black Accountants (NABA), we’re proud to sponsor NABA’s 2021 scholarship program, which has supplied over $20,000 of scholarships to their college students.
I just lately attended a NABA Northern New Jersey annual membership occasion the place I had the glory of assembly our scholarship recipient and presenting him with the funds that Xero contributed. At this time, I’m thrilled to introduce you to our scholarship recipient, Joel Guzman! Proceed studying to be taught extra about Joel’s spectacular background, views and extra.
Inform us a bit about your self.
I’m at the moment a senior at Rutgers College the place I’m pursuing a double main in finance and economics. I’m from Jersey Metropolis, NJ and was lucky to attend McNair Tutorial Excessive Faculty. My highschool was a illustration of how various Jersey Metropolis actually is and at McNair, I made friendships with individuals from all completely different backgrounds and cultures. Whereas I at all times thought of pursuing a profession in sports activities or changing into an artist, McNair allowed me to pursue my educational research additional and attend Rutgers Enterprise Faculty.
I used to be lucky to intern at American Specific my sophomore 12 months with their World Service provider Companies group. After experiencing the company world, I made a decision to tackle one other alternative with UBS via their Tomorrow’s Expertise program the place I used to be a worldwide wealth administration intern on the fastened earnings gross sales workforce. World wealth administration was an space I had by no means heard of earlier than, so it was attention-grabbing to find out about this area. After graduating subsequent 12 months, I’ll be returning to UBS in a full-time place as a World Wealth Administration GTP analyst.
What led you to pursue your double main in finance and economics?
Once I stepped into my first economics lecture, the Rocky theme track appeared to start out enjoying from the skies. For the primary time in a very long time, it felt as if destiny had crossed paths with the classroom. That was once I knew economics was one thing I needed to be round perpetually. It wasn’t the making of provide and demand graphs that attracted me, it was the conclusion that there have been invisible elements that performed tangible roles in our on a regular basis lives.
And so, what about finance? For me, the great thing about finance is that it may be seen as each an artwork and a science. Few mathematically based mostly professions bear in mind human feelings as a lot as finance does, and it’s there in that unsettled grey space the place I’ve come to like finance. Solely counting on theoretical ideas renders itself ineffective in a world the place fickle minds and highly effective hearts can show them unsuitable. In the end, I made a decision to double main in economics and finance as a result of they spoke extra to me than some other topic I had ever been launched to earlier than.
What led you to affix NABA’s Rutgers chapter?
I’m a first-generation faculty scholar and navigating all the brand new experiences, campus and alternatives right here was overseas to me. I knew what I needed to check and in flip developed a fantastic ardour for it, however what I didn’t know was what I ought to do with my life as soon as I graduated. It was NABA that helped present what profession path was meant for me. That fateful choice all got here right down to my finest pal, Gary, who advised me about NABA and inspired me to test it out. The membership, which I quickly got here to search out out was extra like a household, helped present enterprise majors with internships and networking alternatives. At the moment, I knew I needed to communicate to individuals to be able to be taught extra about attainable profession paths; and if I used to be lucky sufficient, I might even land an internship to be able to see what the start of these careers could possibly be like. It took one common physique assembly and I used to be offered and joined NABA throughout my freshman 12 months of school. Coming in as a freshman, I might join with different members a number of years forward of who had been working in the direction of their profession objectives. Their steering helped me as I navigated my very own faculty journey and I developed many influential mentorships.
How do you wish to affect the finance career?
What I hope to perform within the career is create a path for highschool or faculty college students to see and acknowledge that there’s a path they will comply with themselves. Most individuals come into the sphere of finance wanting a entrance workplace position in gross sales, buying and selling or banking. You don’t at all times hear about fields like world wealth administration, so I wish to assist create a path which may affect others to do the identical factor.
I additionally wish to present folks that finance isn’t solely a mathematically-based career. Inside finance and the enterprise world, there are completely different interdisciplinary obligations. For instance, in the event you’re somebody who likes psychology or advertising, there’s a technique to incorporate that into finance. Individuals can take their abilities and incorporate it right into a finance profession that’s extra fulfilling and geared in the direction of their private pursuits.
What excites you probably the most concerning the upcoming 12 months?
We had a 12 months and a half of faculty in a digital setting so I wish to make the most of these previous couple of semesters and have the ability to give again and reconnect in-person. Final 12 months, when courses and extracurriculars had been on-line, it was laborious to retain college students and maintain them engaged and taking part in golf equipment. However in-person, when you have got that face-time with individuals you’ll be able to actually assist encourage them or really feel such as you’re extra linked and dealing in the direction of one thing.
I additionally wish to take pleasure in my summer time and time with family and friends earlier than I begin my full-time place subsequent August. I’m trying ahead to going to music festivals and live shows, going to Six Flags and taking some journeys to discover the world earlier than I begin working. I plan on going to South America and am trying ahead to the journey for an immersive non secular and cultural expertise.
What can we discover you doing outdoors of courses and on the weekends?
I couldn’t exercise at a fitness center throughout quarantine, so I took up residence exercises and calisthenics or utilizing your personal physique weight for workouts. I like going to a park proper by my home and you could find me there each Friday on the observe and exercise station.
I’m an enormous soccer fan and love Madden soccer video video games. It’s enjoyable for me since I performed soccer in highschool and I actually just like the technique concerned in opposition to your opponents. I performed quite a lot of chess rising up and after I grew out of that, video video games grew to become a approach for me to include that technique facet I actually loved.
I additionally actually take pleasure in spending time with my household. Figuring out how restricted my time is, I actually cherish the time I now spend with my dad and mom and sister.
Another parting recommendation for different college students?
Be your self. Being your real self to highschool or work and the conversations you’re having with individuals. In case you’re capable of act like your true self, your relationships are far more significant.