Wake Forest

Mengdi Tang There is a stereotype that accountants are driven solely by money and the accumulation of personal wealth. Yet while my goals in accounting do include personal success, I am also motivated by a desire to help others. Indeed I do not believe the two philosophies—self-interest and altruism—are mutually exclusive. By eventually obtaining a CPA license and becoming an accountant in any of the Big Four firms, I will be perfectly positioned to provide financial advice and other support to small businesses, growing enterprises, and other entrepreneurs. Not only will this benefit China’s economy in general, but it will also specifically help people who dream of starting or expanding their own companies, thereby charting their own destinies.

Currently in China, multinational corporations are dominating the economic and business landscape, while local companies struggle to compete and enter the global market. The latter require professional help from talented accountants, particularly those with international experience. For example, small local businesses often lack normative financial management, which impedes efficiency and exacerbates risk. As a result, such businesses may face problems such as effective internal control, reduction of cost, and bottleneck of financing. Thus I want to provide direction and advice for the improvement of business performance, operational effectiveness and efficiency. Meanwhile, for small businesses that are looking to invest or do business overseas, I want to analyze their investment environments, evaluate their risks and support their business registrations, since such companies may lack the requisite information and experience to do so. Moreover, many Chinese companies are unfamiliar with financial reporting in a global context, which is a required skill when entering the global market.

Mengdi Tang Significantly, my altruistic side has been demonstrated through volunteering. For example, I taught and helped immigrant...