Students Organize First Latin America Career Trek

A group of 16 students traveled to Mexico City last month to engage in professional meetings with high-ranking politicians and business professionals and to explore the city’s historical and cultural richness. The participating students, all from the MBA class of 2018, met with representatives from ​Goldman Sachs, McKinsey, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Central Bank of Mexico, Banco Azteca, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The student group was led by MBA candidates​ Elida Ruiz, Camila Baron, and Anjali Shahani​.

“​This was the first career trek organized by the Latin American Business Association (LABA),” said Ruiz. “We wanted to enrich and broaden our classmates’ global experience and encourage a more informed view of the region. Mexico being one of the largest economies in Latin America and its proximity to the United States were the reasons to choose it as our first trek destination.”

Exploring Opportunities in Mexico City

The trek served as an opportunity to expose students to other job markets. “Mexico’s business climate is so rich that we wanted our fellow classmates to consider it as a destination to do business and possibly pursue a career in the future,” said Shahani.  

Cristhian Soto (MBA’18) also attended the trek and found value in talking to several representatives from the finance sector. “The visit to Banco Azteca made me realize the immense opportunities in the country,” said Soto. “In particular, I was impressed by the strategies being implemented to provide banking services to the bottom of the pyramid, which has been historically marginalized from these type of services.”

For Anjali, the trek also deepened her understanding of the economic ties in the region. “This trip further confirmed what I have learned during my Nonmarket Strategy Certificate in regard to the deep intricacies between the political and business environment,” said Anjali. “Common themes among the organizations we visited were last year’s U.S. election, the peso devaluation, and the uncertainty surrounding NAFTA negotiations. The government plays an important role in this sector as a main stakeholder and liaison for U.S. relations.”

Career treks also leverage the presence of Georgetown University’s global alumni: “I enjoyed talking to Manuel Camacho of Goldman Sachs the most​. Besides speaking about Mexico’s business outlook, he shared his personal experience and advice in a very candid and authentic way,” said Ruiz. “As a Georgetown MBA alumnus, he was able to relate to us and vice versa.”

The Cultural Richness of Mexico City

The group also had the chance to explore the city, which included visits to the Pyramids of Teotihuacan, Frida Kahlo’s House, ​the Chapultepec Castle, the Coyoacan Market, the Anthropology Museum, Xochimilco, and Polanco. Soto’s favorite site was the National Museum of Anthropology.

“It is a beautiful and impressive building, which contains a rich collection of the different civilizations and indigenous groups that have been in Mexico from ancient times to now. I highly recommend this gem of Mexico City,” said Soto.

Ruiz had great words of encouragement for Georgetown students who wish to pursue international career treks.  “They are a unique opportunity to explore and learn both about other countries’ business environment and their culture,” she said, “These trips are organized by the students, and they are a great opportunity for us to look for opportunities outside of the United States. You never know where the right opportunity will find you!”