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Lance Taylor is a Port Arthur native and Lamar University graduate. Taylor accepted a full-time position with Walmart corporate headquarters as a financial analyst II. This offer comes after Taylor successfully completed a highly competitive internship program with the company.

Walmart is one of the world’s largest corporations, ranking No. 1 in the Fortune 500 and Fortune Global 500 companies lists.

Taylor graduated from Lamar State College Port Arthur with general studies and business administration associates degrees. He is a graduate student in the Master of Science in Accounting program and earned a double major B.B.A. in finance and accounting at Lamar University.

After graduation Taylor plans to become a certified public accountant and work fulltime for Walmart headquarters.

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

Taylor has four older brothers and two sisters that 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 company at the time and would teach him the finance side. Those were Taylor’s first lessons in accounting.

“My father would say things like, ‘hey, you need to know how much money we made and how much money we must spend on our expenses,’” Taylor said. “He also taught me about having good relationships with customers.”

The inspired Taylor to get into accounting, and he is also part of the family owned business, Texas Tailored Investments.

Taylor was recognized with a Texas Business Hall of Fame Scholarship award. The organization TBHF rewards up-and-coming business leaders through the Future Legends Scholar & Veteran Award Program, which provides scholar awards to students at participating Texas universities.

The Foundation celebrates their stories and contributions at their annual Texas Business Hall of Fame Induction Dinner.

“Getting recognized with a scholarship award from the TBHF was one of my biggest accomplishments at Lamar University,” he said. “It felt unreal, and I did not know I would get this opportunity.”

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

“I have many entrepreneurial aspirations,” he said, adding the Career and Professional Development Center at Lamar University campus was a big help. “They helped me on how to prepare for interviews, be calm during interviews and helped me with my resume.”

Taylor was a part 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 has advice for students graduating high school with plans to go to college.

“Get a tutor and do your best on your SAT exam, that way you have a high chance of getting accepted to multiple schools and getting scholarships,” he said. “Make sure to keep up with your grades, have fun but take care of your business, network, put yourself out there and join organizations.”

Taylor said you must have faith and inspiration to go after your dreams.

“Whatever you think is a goal or a dream, do not think small, dream big,” he said. “The things I have accomplished, someone else can accomplish and more.”

Taylor was part of the December graduating Class of 2021, and his graduation quote was, “God plus hard work remains undefeated.”

– By Tracy Ramirez