“Hopeful dreamer.”

Hometown: Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico

Fun fact about yourself: Over the past eight years, I have lived in seven cities on three different continents.

Undergraduate School and Major: ITESM—Monterrey Technology, Architecture

Most recent employer and job title: Woods Bagot Architects, lead designer

Which word best describes the Tuck MBA students and alumni you have met so far and why? Encouraging. From my application process to admission, I have seen this value in all Tuck students and alumni. Every Tuckie I’ve met has been so invested in helping me achieve my goals. People like Michael Barbe (T’22), Kristin Ng (T’22) and Sanjana Tikkoo (T’22) showed me selfless support even before I was part of this family. Compared to other top schools, Tuckies truly surprises you with an unparalleled level of encouragement. It is simply unique; I have never seen anything like it.

Apart from your classmates, What was the key element of the Dartmouth Tuck MBA program that led you to choose this business school and why was it so important to you? This would be the General Management Curriculum, Challenging Core Curriculum, Student Collaboration, and Career Outcomes. Tuck’s General Management program equips you with skills to succeed in the industry of your choice. A combination of cases and traditional lectures is used to build the technical skills that complement the case discussion. For me, being part of a school that followed a structured core curriculum and had a college student body was crucial in my MBA school selection.

What class, club or activity are you most excited about at Dartmouth Tuck? It’s really hard to mention just one, but I’ll mention where I’ll be more involved. I am truly delighted to be involved with Tuck Pride, the Finance Club, the Rugby Club and the Center for Business, Government & Society. I am interested in Tuck Pride because I would like to attract even more LGBTQ+ people to our community and advance LGBTQ+ representation in the business world. I also chose Club Finance because I am fascinated by the power that finance has to change the lives of many people. I chose the Rugby Club because I love playing rugby, and the Center for Business, Government & Society because I want to be more effective in creating social change.

What excites you the most about coming to live in Hannover? What is the one activity you look forward to doing? The aspects I’m most excited about living in Hannover involve being in touch with nature, having spaces to reflect on the big issues I want to solve, and engaging with my classmates around the clock and 7 days a week. Hannover is a safe, friendly and utterly charming place. One activity I look forward to doing is playing rugby. I love the camaraderie, collaboration and open communication that rugby brings to every player.

Describe your greatest achievement in your career so far: I consider my greatest accomplishment to be the mentorship I provided to children, teens and young employees in my previous industry. Mentoring low-income kids and LGBTQ+ teens, while helping them make positive changes in their lives, has been the best thing I’ve ever done.

How has COVID-19 changed your outlook on your career and life in general? COVID-19 has taught me a lot of lessons. It taught me to keep dreaming and be industrious while making positive changes for a better society. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused me to reevaluate my life, my goals, and my relationships with others. During my career, I realized that I wanted to be a more effective agent of change for minorities (women, LGBTQ+ and racial minorities) around the world.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point and what do you hope to do after graduation? I am pursuing an MBA because of the impact it makes in the world. I want to have a positive imprint on our planet. An MBA will help me develop the skills and credibility needed to bring more diversity to the workplace, to help others get better jobs, to improve society, and to work on non-profit projects. After graduation, I hope to continue working in a company that will allow me to advocate for more diversity and opportunities for minority groups while creating wealth for everyone.

What other MBA programs have you applied to? Harvard, Wharton, Oxford, LBS, Stanford and Yale.

What advice would you give to help potential candidates gain admission to the Dartmouth Tuck MBA program? I love this question! First of all, I would like to say that there is no formula. Tuck is transparent in how applications are assessed and what the school is looking for. Tuck is looking for people who are smart, accomplished, aware and supportive.

Second, take the GMAT or GRE and score at or above the school average. However, if you’ve taken it multiple times and are still below the average score, don’t be deterred from applying. Schools recognize that you are more than a score. On this subject, I personally recommend test preparation services like GregMat, which have been a game changer in my preparation.

Third, get to know Tuck. Go to the Diversity Conference (DivCo) and the school’s Women in Business Conference. Attend admissions events, meet ambassadors, engage with clubs, and talk to alumni. I think of Tuck as family, not just classmates or a “network.” I really mean family, where you build trust with classmates and alumni, and people will support you. For this reason, I encourage you to get to know the family and demonstrate how you can contribute to the community here.

Fourth, do a lot of self-reflection on your essays, show your true self, be vulnerable, and leave your ego at the door.

DON’T MISS: MEET THE DARTMOUTH TUCK MBA CLASS OF 2023