Aliyah Rodriguez

I attribute my success to my commitment to financial empowerment and community service. As an accounting student at California State University, I’ve learned that numbers can be more than calculations they can help families understand their finances and build stability. Volunteering with the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program has been especially meaningful, where I serve as a bilingual English–Spanish translator assisting families and certified tax preparers with tax services. My dedication to service began in high school, where I completed over 300 hours of community service and earned a scholarship that now supports my education. At the university level, I continue that commitment through the Hispanic Business Student Association, where I help coordinate professional events, present workshops on personal branding and resume development, and created and moderate the “Latino Voices” panel series featuring Latina professionals in business. I am also active in Circle K International, a service-based leadership organization. These experiences continue to shape my goal of using accounting as a tool to support and empower the communities I serve.

One of my mentors, Andrea Malave, who transitioned from a corporate career at Amazon to launching her own publishing business (Chula Vista Publishing), gave me advice that really stuck with me. She told me not to be scared to step into new waters and uncharted territory - to really go for it if it's what I'm interested in. She said it's better to go to your job every day and love your job than to be in a place where you're unhappy. If you're doing something you love, it doesn't even feel like you're working. That resonates deeply with me, especially as I think about my future in accounting. A lot of people see it as just office work that can be boring or involve long hours, but for me, I think this will become a job I love because of the community aspect and being able to assist other people. With my background of being bilingual, I'm able to reach an entire different community and advocate for them with the hardest part of life, which is financials. That's why I decided to pursue this role - because I really want to teach financial responsibility and financial wellness, and I believe I can do that through my job.

I would say to lead with your authentic self, and if there's not space for you, create that space. A lot of my work is reflective of other people coming and sharing their stories about spaces where they were the first. I'm kind of passing along that knowledge I've received from other people to others - that there may become situations where you are the only one. It's okay to not be discouraged, and it's okay to be the first and create your own space. I've heard these stories through the Latino Voices panel and from the professionals I work with, and I left that room immediately empowered because I heard the same concerns and issues that I was experiencing and felt validated. Seeing women actually thrive in these environments is incredibly empowering and makes you look towards the future and think, this could be you.

Growing up bilingual and earning the State Seal of Biliteracy helped shape my sense of purpose. Language has allowed me to act as a bridge between communities, particularly when it comes to financial literacy and access to professional services. My goal is to use my accounting career to help individuals and families better understand their financial options and feel empowered to make informed decisions.