Gustavo Lessa Moser, 24, graduated in Production Engineering, lives in Copacabana (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and attended our program Strategy & Marketing at University of La Verne in January 2017.
Education and entrepreneurship are part of his professional life – at university he volunteered to monitoring, attended lectures and specialized in entrepreneurship. Nowadays, he is coaching and training at the company he works, “people are more important than process and adjusting to changes along the way is more important than following a plan” he said.
Check below what our student has to say regarding his international experience!
You attended classes at University of La Verne in January 2017. How this experience changed your life?
The content of classes, contact with people from all over the world, studying in a country that has a culture so much different than my own… everything has broadened my perspectives, making me think differently.
I realized that it is up to me to follow what I want and make the difference instead of waiting for it to happen or waiting for people to say which path I must follow. As soon as I came back from La Verne, it was clearly for me.
Regarding professors, what have surprised you?
Two things in special. I liked the Marketing professor, Steve Fialho. To me, he was the best professor in this program! He is a charismatic person and teaches in a way that I really like, which is a much more extensive method, presenting the content and letting students bring to class what they think, what they know about the subject. It helped me to see marketing in a different way.
Regarding the strategy class, professor Douglas Chun gave us the opportunity to have contact with the Chinese culture, which is more disciplined and pragmatic. Some projects that we developed were regarding the Chinese market. So, for example, we had to think how Coca-Cola would develop its new product to that culture. We did an extensive research, you know? It was so exciting!
Which place have you liked the most in California?
I stayed in Los Angeles the most. I enjoyed visiting the Santa Monica Pier. The contact with local people, tourists, the beach at the end of the day with the sunset and the amusement park… that American thing, you know? It is so nice to live this experience! I am a big fan of American basketball, so I watched four basket games at STAPLES Center. It was amazing!
What are you expecting for your professional future?
Well, I think it will be totally different. The most important for a professional is to develop its capacities. I think, by the way, that programs will no longer be divided into specific areas – people will develop abilities and competences. A company divided by sectors, for example, I think this must end. It will be multidisciplinary groups, bringing together fields of knowledge with the same purpose. We will work our knowledge and creation skills, not manual labor. It is obvious that it will take some time! But professionals should be aware.
What would you say to someone of your age that has the dream of studying abroad?
I would say that this should be a priority. Talking about the language, for example, nowadays is really important to know how to communicate in English and to have access to what is the best in fields of study. I myself that like technology, can’t wait the translation to access a content, so I wouldn’t be left behind. I need to learn to consume this content in English. I can’t be unconnected with the European economy, to Brexit and how this will impact the world. I would say that it is too important to prioritize an experience abroad, so you can know new people and broaden your perspectives. This is becoming more important each day!
To receive information regarding our executive programs abroad, such as destinations, costs, program content, etc., send an e-mail to blog@ibs-americas.com!
