Playing sports is one way to open a door to success. However, R.J. Barnes, a senior business management major, says long-range goals such as financial stability are just as important.

Barnes says his dream to attend college became reality when Park University granted him a baseball scholarship two years ago.

Maintaining his scholarship requires him to obtain high grades and continue playing baseball for the university. As a result, it is crucial for Barnes to be present during the games and practices.

According to Barnes, the scholarship affords him an opportunity to earn a bachelor degree.

Although he was granted an athletic scholarship, Barnes doesn’t want to pursue a sports career. As a business management student, he says he understands success in the financial market requires commitment.

Barnes said he wants to be a business owner – a realization that came after he worked for the Primerica company. Primerica is a financial institution which trains new clients to understand how financial systems work.

“Primerica is revolutionary because there are no other companies doing what Primerica does best: getting families properly protected, debt free and financially (stable),” he says. “It is a fact that no one knows how money really works. You cannot win the game of finances without knowing the rules of the game. For example, you can’t play baseball on a soccer field or football in a swimming pool. It just doesn’t work. This is happening all around America, the world’s richest country. People just aren’t retiring in dignity due to bad financial advice.”

During his 18-month tenure at Primerica, he has advised clients on to how to handle their money carefully. In doing so, he urges them to invest where their money can grow quicker.

“I’m in charge of seeking, training and developing people to become regional vice president to opening more offices,” he says. “We have a very successful ‘Athletes to Ownership’ program which teaches motivated individuals how to open a branch location.”

Barnes says he believes the core principle of business is to save money and invest in a wealthy financial sector. This means less spending enhances businesses to grow.

For this reason, he is working hard to achieve his goals.

“I plan to open my own Primerica office in May 2014, as I advance to become a regional vice president within the company,” he says.  “I want to continue to teach people to follow my footsteps.”

Barnes says he understands how financial systems can rescue thousands of people from sinking into poverty. In other words, he believes financial illiteracy leads people to debt.

“It’s the largest revolution of today,” he says. “The largest pile of money is leaving traditional financial institutions such as banks, insurance companies and investment companies and the money is going back into the pockets of middle-income Americans through education not sales. This revolution is huge.”

He suggests the inability to understand financial rules is the core reason many people are in the cycle of poverty. Even though some people are working, they do not save enough money to support themselves.

“In my opinion, the only way to be successful, have job security and to be wealthy is to own your business and be an entrepreneur,” he says. “Just by working with Primerica part time, a traditional W-2 employee can save $3,000 to $5,000 a year just on business write-offs. (It’s the ) perks of being a business owner.”