Dawn S.

My future career goal is to become a CPA and one day hopefully open my own bagel cafe which has been a dream I’ve had for a long time. I want to gain strong experience in finance through my work as a CPA and potentially as a wealth management consultant, so that when I start my own business I’ll be well prepared to manage the financial and operational aspects.I would love for my business to be family run and eventually pass it down to my younger sisters. As a CPA, I plan to work at one of the Big Four accounting firms and later transition into wealth management at a company like JPMorgan or Bank of America. In addition, I hope to give back by connecting with high schools and colleges to promote financial literacy. I want to help students understand money management, open bank accounts, and begin investing, so they can be better prepared for their future.

One of my main goals while studying abroad is to start a financial literacy club to help students become more confident and informed about managing their finances. I also hope to build a network by connecting with other study abroad students in Spain and encouraging them to start similar financial literacy clubs at their own schools in the future. To achieve this, I plan to speak with the school administration and professors to gain approval to host meetings, use classroom space, and present educational materials. I also hope to organize virtual sessions with professionals from Fidelity Investments and California Coast Credit Union, inviting guest speakers to answer students’ questions and share real-world financial knowledge.

My second goal is to network with EY, the Big Four accounting firm where I plan to work after graduating. I would love the opportunity to work in Spain for a few years, so I hope to connect with professionals in EY’s Spain office to learn more about how to make that possible. I am especially interested in hearing about their career paths, gaining insight into working internationally, and potentially shadowing their work environment to better understand how the office operates abroad.

Lastly, my third goal is to excel academically in all of my classes. Many of the courses I will take abroad are essential for my CPA certification, which is extremely important to me. I have planned my academic schedule to graduate one quarter early in 2027 so that I can dedicate additional time to preparing for the CPA exam. Since much of the material I will learn abroad will be covered on the CPA exam, it is crucial that I fully engage with and master my coursework during this experience.