Aleksandra, current student of the Master in International Management, talks about her experiences during the Master.

Hi Aleksandra! Start off by telling us about yourself…
Hello! My name is Aleksandra! I’m a girl from Cleveland, USA, with Serbian blood, heart, and soul. I did my Bachelor degree in International Business at the University of Akron, USA, and now I am in beautiful Madrid pursuing my passion in international business and management. I first fell in love with Spain when I lived for a summer in Sevilla (southern Spain, in Andalusia). Having that daily magical influence of exquisite Arab architecture, centuries upon centuries of Roman, Jewish, and Moorish history at every step, and the daily siesta coma that apparently comes with the arrival stamp in your passport, the Spanish summer heat just ignited my passion for this land. Did I mention that I also love the culture, language, and zeal for life here in Spain?!

Great stuff, do you have an interesting fact or story to share with us?
I started learning Arabic during my last semester of university! I loved it… but haven’t done it since. It’s such a beautiful language to write!

What are the kinds of things you admire in a person?
I admire people who “dare to be themselves in the face of adversity. Choosing right over wrong, ethics over convenience, and truth over popularity….. Since these are the choices that measure your life” (author unknown).

You are currently studying the Master in International Management, why did you choose IE?
Well, I chose IE for several reasons… First, of course no one can deny that IE Business School is one of the best schools in the world to get a business education from… Second, the fact that the school is in Madrid also really made a difference for me because I always wanted to come back to live in Spain and develop absolutely fluent Spanish. Lastly, I think being in and working with such a diverse network of students/colleagues, professors, and alumni provides a huge cultural exposure and global network. In our MIM class this year, we have 48 nationalities!

What interesting things have you been up to this week?
Last week we learned about various topics like company culture in Organizational Behavior, Business Intelligence (BI) and data mining in Info Systems Management, and linear programming in Quantitative Methods.

What have you got coming up?
This week we have Corporate Immersion Week and the MIM Cup, which is a whole week dedicated to a project with a company, followed by a fun sports/social day ending with (possibly) winning the MIM Cup. We still have yet to see who is the best section!

And finally, what do you want to do after your Master?
After my Master’s, I would definitely like to work in a position dealing with products, services, or people on an international level since I love working with different cultures. Whether that may begin in International Marketing or somewhere else (I’m open to a lot of places- I love to learn!), I do want to go into International Development work later on in my career. I believe that what ultimately really matters in life is what difference you make in the world around you.

Fascinating stuff, Aleksandra. Thanks for your time and good luck on the Corporate Immersion Week!

This post was first published on IE Business School – Master in International Management Blog.

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