Lance Taylor is from Port Arthur and a graduate of Lamar University. Taylor accepted a full-time position at Walmart Headquarters as Financial Analyst II. This offer comes after Taylor successfully completed a highly competitive internship program with the company.

Walmart is one of the largest corporations in the world, ranking # 1 among the Fortune 500 and Fortune Global 500 companies.

Taylor graduated from Lamar State College in Port Arthur with general studies and associate’s degrees in business administration. He is a graduate student of the Master of Science in Accounting program and obtained a double BBA in Finance and Accounting at Lamar University.

After graduation, Taylor plans to become a chartered accountant and work full-time for Walmart headquarters.

Entrepreneurship and business have always been part of Taylor’s family. Her mother was born in Guatemala but raised in Belize, and her father is African American and a native of Port Arthur. Her father has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and her mother is a business owner.

Taylor has four older brothers and two sisters who were all born in Belize. He is the baby of the family and the only one born in the United States.

Entrepreneurship was taught to Taylor at the age of 12. His father had a lawn business at the time and would teach him the financial side. These were Taylor’s first accounting lessons.

“My dad would say things like, ‘Hey, you gotta know how much money we’ve made and how much we need to spend on our expenses,’” Taylor said. “He also taught me how to have good customer relationships.

He inspired Taylor to get into accounting, and he’s also part of the family-owned Texas Tailored Investments business.

Taylor received a Texas Business Hall of Fame scholarship. The TBHF organization rewards promising business leaders through the Future Legends Scholar & Veteran Award program, which provides scholarships to students at participating Texas universities.

The Foundation celebrates their stories and contributions at their annual Texas Business Hall of Fame induction dinner.

“Being recognized by a TBHF scholarship has been one of my greatest accomplishments at Lamar University,” he said. “It was unreal and I didn’t know I would have this opportunity.”

Taylor hopes to grow his family business and become a business consultant to help small businesses grow in Southeast Texas.

“I have many entrepreneurial aspirations,” he said, adding that the Career and Professional Development Center on the Lamar University campus was a great help. “They helped me prepare for interviews, stay calm during interviews and write my CV.”

Taylor was a member of several organizations such as Beta Alpha Psi, the National Association of Black Accountants, Awakening (a religious organization), the Lamar Hispanic Society, and the Association for Latino Professionals for America.

He gives advice to students who are finishing high school and planning to go to university.

“Find a tutor and do your best for your SAT exam, that way you have a good chance of getting accepted into multiple schools and getting scholarships,” he said. “Make sure to follow your notes, have fun but take care of your business, network, promote yourself and join organizations. “

Taylor said you have to have the faith and the inspiration to pursue your dreams.

“Whatever you think is a goal or a dream, don’t think small, dream big,” he said. “The things I have done someone else can do and more.”

Taylor was in the December 2021 graduating class, and her graduation quote was, “God and hard work go undefeated.

– By Tracy Ramirez