Kwadwo Owusu remembers being glued to TV news in 2008 as the financial crisis unfolded. He was just 13 years old, but it changed the trajectory of his life.
“It baffled me how decisions made in corporate offices could literally affect individuals and the economy as a whole,” he said.
So, it came as no surprise to his family when he decided to double major in finance and accounting at Minnesota State University. And that path led to a financial analyst internship at Best Buy in 2019.
As college students and graduates start summer internships around the U.S., Kwadwo reflected on his time as a Best Buy intern and what led him to pursue a career in finance.
He graduated this past May and posted about his commencement speech on LinkedIn. In it, the first-generation college graduate thanked every person, company and organization that poured “time, money, soul and wisdom” into him during college. He credits his success, among other things, to his time as a Best Buy financial analyst intern.
The most important thing he learned was the importance of relationships. Although his internship ended two years ago, he has stayed close with Lindsay Harris, a talent acquisition manager at Best Buy, even as he started a new job at a Big Four accounting firm.
“There’s a focus on relationships even though it’s a large company. Lindsay is the best example of that,” he said. “I get a lot out of it, and she’s helped me grow professionally.”
Before meeting Kwadwo, Best Buy didn’t recruit much from his college, and Lindsay had been looking for a way to expand the company’s reach to more diverse candidates.
She enlisted Kwadwo as a campus ambassador. As the president of the school’s National Association of Black Accountants (NABA) chapter, he was the perfect fit.
Because he had such a positive experience, he was passionate about helping recruit more Black finance students from Minnesota State for Best Buy internships.
Building solid relationships in colleges and universities is one way Best Buy is making good on its five-year plan to hire more BIPOC and women employees and create more opportunities and post-secondary support for youth and emerging talent.
This year’s Best Buy summer intern program just started. With more than 70 colleges and universities represented, the group of 179 students is the largest and most diverse internship class to date.
For Lindsay, that’s 179 opportunities to watch students like Kwadwo excel.
“He’s just amazing,” she said. “He’s going to change the world.”
Learn more about Best Buy’s commitments to address how we recruit, hire and retain our employees, and how we’re expanding opportunities for youth across the country.