María Valentina Anzola

With her sights set on making a lasting mark in investment banking, María Anzola has continually pushed herself to excel academically, professionally, and personally. In December, she will graduate with a degree in international trade and finance and a minor in energy. Soon after, she will join Brooklyn Capital Partners, one of her internship sites, focusing on mergers and acquisitions strategy in the energy sector. Her deep curiosity about how energy decisions affect global markets makes this next step a perfect fit.

María's resilience and ambition trace back to a pivotal decision early in her life:

"The biggest risk of my life is when I chose to come to a different country by myself. I was 16 and not fluent in the language. And I was going without my family, going to live in a stranger's house. I didn't know how it was going to turn out. I could feel it within myself that I could do more than what I was doing. And so I took the risk, and it's been the most rewarding journey of my life."

Her courage set the tone for the rest of her journey. At LSU, María found both community and opportunity. The college's emphasis on experiential learning, mentorship, and global business perspectives gave her the tools and confidence to merge her international background with her financial ambitions.

“The E. J. Ourso College of Business is where I have been able to grow into the woman I am today. I left my country when I was really young. This place gave me that chance to become my own person apart from my family, my country, and everything else I knew.”

That independence grew into leadership. As one of the founders of the Future Forward Foundation (F3 Global), María has already started transforming the financial landscape for small business owners. The student-led nonprofit offers microfinancing and consulting to entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds, many of whom face the highest interest rates when seeking funding from traditional sources. Since its founding in late 2024, F3 Global has expanded to 10 branches worldwide and raised over $100,000 to support ventures in South America and the US.

"I am most proud of the fact that we can make a difference, and we can deliver results to these people who need it to just grow their businesses. Often, their businesses are their babies. We help them nurture and expand their ideas."

The Ourso College's curriculum and support network helped María develop the strategic thinking she now uses to navigate the complex worlds of finance and energy. She hopes her story inspires others, especially Latinos and Latinas, who remain underrepresented in high finance.

"If you ever think, 'I cannot do it because people are telling me that I'm crazy,' just don't listen to that. Go one day at a time. With a little effort and belief in yourself, you'll be able to do it. And I now have the chance to make a real difference."

María's journey is a testament to the power of determination and vision.