“Tell Your Story” is a regular series that features one of our Booth community members. In his or her own words, the contributor details their path to Booth and other interesting personal highlights.
Where are you originally from? And what did you do prior to Booth?
I was born in Miranda de Ebro, a small city in northern Spain. As a child I lived in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, and Pamplona, sparking my interest in visiting new places. Before coming to Booth, I worked at Airbus in France, Germany, and Spain. I started designing electrical systems for Airbus Helicopters, and I spent the last 3 years working as a manufacturing engineer in a military aircraft factory.
What made you want to go to business school?
As an engineer, I was exposed to the technical intricacies of many systems, but I always wondered about the business side of our daily operations. Most MBAs in Europe take only one year, but I wanted to have the chance to explore a different job through a summer internship. Doing my MBA at Chicago Booth was the best option to invest in my business experience.
What specifically about Booth was attractive to you and what do you hope to do afterwards?
I really liked the flexibility of the program, not only academically, but also in terms of all the opportunities surrounding the school. Though I’ve been here for just a year I have already done three different internships in very different environments: first, at an emerging startup in Spain through the Summer Startup program; second, at a venture capital firm through the Private Equity and Venture Capital Lab; and third, at a big tech firm throughout the summer. Having tried different fields makes me more confident about my future professional choices.
Describe your Booth experience thus far.
I remember feeling overwhelmed during my first weeks: classes in the morning, then jumping into one of the several lunches covering very interesting topics, then either classes or group meetings in the afternoon, and some evening social life too. It was impossible to do it all! After some time you become more selective and self-conscious about what you love: there’s a broad choice of to-do’s for any opportunity you pursue!
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I love cooking, reading, and traveling with friends. Last year, I visited Colombia, Guatemala, Canada, and Mexico with different Booth friends.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself.
No matter where I go, I always pack with me my snorkel gear.
