What principles have defined your life and pre-MBA career? How do you believe that UCLA Anderson's principles and the environment they create, will help you attain your post-MBA career goals?

Reflecting on the principles that have defined my life thus far, some are based on nature and others have been nurtured throughout my life. My first principle stems from my background; I have a Spanish mother and French father but grew up in the States. I gained an awareness of cultural differences early on and appreciated the many ways to follow traditions. Realizing the value of an international background has pushed me to accept differences and be considerate of others.

My second principle is giving back to my community. I was first exposed to this notion starting in high school when working at a charity retail shop. Spending time on the store floor, I saw first-hand how people found treasures through buying gently used goods while the profits benefitted the local AIDS foundation. I realized sometimes it isn’t the biggest actions that do good and found myself happy to help others whenever possible. At university I mentored a young boy in his studies and post-university regularly visited the New York Food Bank to sort food donations. The positives that come from volunteering each time motivate me to continue. The final principle that has shaped me is perseverance. At the end of my university career, I had decided I wanted to enter consulting - a considerably competitive field, yet I knew this is what I wanted to do. I researched extensively and networked tirelessly. I was thrilled to find a rewarding entry-level consulting position in a new city. The steps and time I took to reach my goal is an example of my perseverance and my knowledge that almost every goal is possible so long as there is determination and hard work. Perseverance also helped me to change jobs to move to Europe when I wanted to expand my geographic base. I put a tremendous amount of effort into selecting where I wanted to live and pursued my job search from abroad. Once there I didn’t know anyone thus perseverance enabled me to make new friends and cope quickly with the major life change. In the end, the experiences I have had throughout my life have produced my principles of being open minded, thinking of the community, and keeping determination even when all seems too daunting.

And while these have been my defining philosophies, I recognize they can evolve. Similarly with UCLA’s principles, I see a continued connection to who I am today and who I want to become in the future. I’ve been in consulting for the past six years and enjoy working in projects aimed to solve clients’ challenges. I also enjoy working in banking as such institutions are part of an intricate system that have local and global impact. However I’ve realized that my work only focuses on one piece of the puzzle and now I’ve become more interested in completing the entire puzzle. Thinking fearlessly, my career vision is to lead a mid-tier consulting firm that aims to solve challenges unique to banking. To achieve this, I need to build upon my current skill set and initially transition to a top tier consulting firm in the U.S, such as Bain or Deloitte, as an Associate to gain more experience in this broader type of consulting. An Anderson MBA is the best way to bridge this career change. Anderson courses such as Managerial Decision Making and Financial Institutions, will provide the knowledge and training to help me accomplish this goal.

UCLA’s Drive Change philosophy connects to my own wish to stay active in the community. I plan to participate in UCLA’s Challenge For Charity, which drives change by raising money for selected charities. Engaging with an even stronger charity group will expand my community experience and broaden my project management skills while working across different charities and schools to lead events and raise funds. Lastly UCLA’s Share Success value through the Women's Business Connection will help me with my MBA goals as it will connect me with other women in business. This would be another instance of my principle of accepting differences and UCLA’s sense of sharing success connecting all while providing an additional resource to help reach my post-MBA goals.

It is clear there is a strong interrelation between my principles and UCLA’s values, and given this, I believe that an Anderson MBA will enable me to attain my goals. With its offerings on both an academic and social level and its ideals, it reflects who I am and is the ultimate place for me to launch my strategic career.