Q&A: ¡Oye! Michigan Ross MBAs in the Latin American Business Student Association Share their Thoughts During Latinx Heritage Month

As Jorge Coria, MBA ’24, said: “Being part of this community doesn't just mean being part of a club at Ross; it means being a family member. Here you are not just one more; you are an essential element.”

LABSA’s mission is to enhance and enrich the experiences of students from Latin American countries, as well as students interested in Latin American cultures and communities. Each year, the organization hosts a variety of events for members and the Michigan Ross community to enjoy time together and showcase their unique cultural elements, including food, drink, music, and dances. 

For Latinx Heritage Month this year, five Michigan Ross Full-Time MBA students in LABSA answered questions about how they are celebrating the month, what they like most about being a member, and more.

Miriam Gallardo

Program/year: MBA ’24

Hometown: Cajamarca, Peru

Post-graduation career interest: Technology and product development

How are you celebrating Latinx Heritage Month this year?

I had the opportunity to participate in two events. Our Chilean and Mexican friends celebrated another year of their independence. The events were very emotional and fun. Our Chilean friends showed us one of their typical dances and we had the opportunity to show a Peruvian one as well. In addition, Chile, Mexico, and Brazil (BRASA party) delighted us with drinks and delicious food. They were very nice experiences and full of culture.

How has being a member of LABSA contributed to your Michigan Ross MBA experience?

LABSA for me is being part of a family with very strong bonds. It is a feeling that comes from being in a safe and mutually supportive environment. LABSA has allowed me to meet many valuable people that today I can call friends. I can share sadness and happiness with them, and we are willing to help each other. In addition, apart from being a form of emotional support, it is a community that cares about sharing academic experiences and providing advice to improve in our professional lives.

What LABSA events/programming have you enjoyed the most?

I think beyond the social events that we have held, professionally, I really liked a talk given to us by a former LABSA member, Pilar Cabezas, MBA ’22. She shared with us her experience of getting an internship and a full-time offer at Google, and gave us very valuable advice.

How have you been able to celebrate and/or share your Latinx heritage as a Ross MBA student?

Personally, I feel very proud to be Peruvian and everything that my culture has. In the almost two months that I have been here with the LABSA community, I have had the opportunity to dance the traditional dances of my country in various meetings that we have had. In addition to this, with friends from other countries, I have been able to talk about drinks, tourist places, and typical food from my country.

How can the Michigan Ross community support the Latinx community?

I believe that there are two priority aspects. First, for many of us, English is our second language so communication can be a significant challenge at the beginning. Being empathetic with students from countries where English is not the first language is critical. The previously mentioned topic should be included during the MBA orientation week to encourage greater inclusion. The second thing is representation. Latin speakers could be included in official events to continue developing and believing in that sense of community and support.

Esteban Guzmán

Program/year: MBA ’24

Hometown: Bogotá, Colombia

Post-graduation career interest: Tech and strategy

How has being a member of LABSA contributed to your Michigan Ross MBA experience?

LABSA is my family at Ross and they have made my transition to a new country easier. Even though I’ve only known them a short time, I know I can trust them blindly. I can tell for sure this is one of the most tight-knit clubs/communities that you’ll find at Ross.

What LABSA events/programming have you enjoyed the most?

Our official welcoming from the second- year MBAs was amazing. We got to know most of the community, and we were able to bond in an incredible way. Also, LABSA has an excellent buddy program which helped me to remain calm and have someone to talk to about anything. Also, they offer fireside chats with LABSA alumni, who guide us through the process of resume building, interviewing, and finding a job.

How have you been able to celebrate and/or share your Latinx heritage as a Ross MBA student?

Despite being an introvert, I’m pushing myself every day to share all the learnings I’ve had in my previous work in several Latinx countries with my peers in class. Moreover, I have the amazing opportunity of being selected as international students’ chair for my section. These things allowed me to be closer to my class and share everyday with them all the different experiences, perspectives, and learnings I’ve had. Hopefully, my peers can learn from me as I’ve been learning from them.

What does being Latinx mean to you, and/or what should others know about the Latinx community?

Being Latinx and representing my country at Ross is an honor. I’m a person who has a humble origin, whose parents struggled several times to be able to afford paying rent, paying school, and even buying food. I am proud of what I have accomplished in my 30 years and I would like to thank my family for being a strong example of resilience and hard work for me. That’s what being a Latinx means. Keep working, stay humble, believe in your principles, and things will work their way up.

How can the Michigan Ross community support the Latinx community?

Ross can encourage Latinx students to share their stories with the broader community. Also, increase awareness in Latinx countries of the incredible opportunities that Ross and the University of Michigan has for its students and motivate them to apply.

Barbara Lopez

Program/year: MBA ’24

Hometown: Viña del Mar, Chile

Post-graduation career interest: Technology

How are you celebrating Latinx Heritage Month this year?

This month we had the celebrations of the Independence Day of Mexico and Chile where we shared a very good moment, and we were able to share our Hispanic traditions and heritage with the Ross community. 

How has being a member of LABSA contributed to your Michigan Ross MBA experience?

As international students arriving in a new country where everything is new to us, LABSA has been key to my MBA experience at Ross. It is a community where everyone helps and supports each other, from networking to everyday things, such as where to go shopping. LABSA has made me feel at home in Michigan.

What LABSA events/programming have you enjoyed the most?

The welcome from LABSA was a very valuable opportunity to get to know each other, share experiences, and be prepared and informed about everything that is coming for these two years of MBA. We were able to enjoy our time with each other and traditional Latin American meals.

How have you been able to celebrate and/or share your Latinx heritage as a Ross MBA student?

As a Chilean, this month is very special because Chile celebrates its Independence Day on Sept. 18. We celebrate it with an activity where we share our food, music, and typical dances with the Latin American community at Ross. Being able to celebrate our festivals together in another country, and having the opportunity to show our traditions to friends from different countries, is an amazing and unique experience.

What does being Latinx mean to you, and/or what should others know about the Latinx community?

For me, being Latina is a pride. Our cultures are so rich in terms of culture, traditions, and the passion and joy of our people, that wherever you go you will be able to clearly identify when someone is Latinx without hesitation. Our community is very tight-knit and will always open the doors to whoever would like to be a part of and learn about our Latinx heritage.

Jorge Coria

Program/year: MBA ’24

Hometown: Mexico City, Mexico

Post-graduation career interest: Investment banking

How are you celebrating Latinx Heritage Month this year?

Together, LABSA, the Hispanic Business Student Association, and Brazilian Student Association have celebrated Latinx Heritage Month by presenting our culture to the Ross community. We have worked together to organize events with typical food and music from our countries, including a carne asada, Brazilian BBQ, Mexican food event, and Taste of Ross, among others. Also, we have shared cultural traditions such as dances, drinks, and fun party events with Latin vibes and music to share and have fun with the Ross community. In addition to social gatherings, we have shared a historical and cultural legacy we commemorate. 

How has being a member of LABSA contributed to your Michigan Ross MBA experience?

LABSA's contribution to my life began even before I started my MBA. A few months ago, I went through a tough evaluation process to decide the best place to do my MBA. Shortly after, I attended Go Blue Rendezvous as part of Ross visit day. During the first activity, I was fortunate to share a seat at a table with five Latinos who were going through the same situation as me. One day together was enough to clear our minds. We all decided to come to Ross.

In Ann Arbor, the community has been the best academic, professional, and social team I could imagine. It is an integrated community, always ready to support, no matter what. Being part of this community doesn't just mean being part of a club at Ross; it means being a family member. Here you are not just one more; you are an essential element.

What does being Latinx mean to you, and/or what should others know about the Latinx community?

Being Latinx means belonging to a country full of culture and traditions. Being Latinx means being inclusive, always. Being Latinx is being the brother of neighboring countries. Being Latinx means being resilient, overcoming difficult situations, helping others, and always giving our best. Being Latinx means knowing how to celebrate big time: Loud, fun, friendly, and loving. Being Latinx means dancing, singing, and enjoying every moment. Being Latinx means being proud and honoring our origins and the communities where we belong.

How can the Michigan Ross community support the Latinx community?

Going through recruitment, academics, and social life in a top MBA program is challenging. The Latinx community faces all this while being away from home, speaking a different language, and facing extreme weather conditions (yes, we are almost always freezing).

I think the Ross community does a great job supporting the Latinx community. 

The support we receive from the Ross community consists of understanding the challenges we face, being friendly and patient with our struggles with language, and participating in our activities, clubs, parties, and trips to our home countries. These activities allow us to show who we are and share the richness of our backgrounds.

From the LABSA co-presidents 

Rogelio Lemarroy

Program/year: MBA ’23

Hometown: Coatzacoalcos, Mexico / Lima, Peru

Post-graduation career interest: Product management, marketing 

Diego Caceres

Program/year: MBA ’23

Hometown: Lima, Peru

Post-graduation career interest: Consulting

How has being a member of LABSA contributed to your Michigan Ross MBA experience?

In a culturally rich and diverse program, it has indeed been an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to share a bit of the Latin culture that we are so proud of. The club’s primary purpose has always been to educate and inform our Latin community, especially anyone outside of it who is interested in learning more. We have had the fortune of having more non-Latinos in the club this year than ever before, which has made the entire Michigan Ross MBA experience much more impactful.

What LABSA events/programming have you enjoyed the most?

We feel proud about all our events because we know how much work everyone in our club puts into them. Nonetheless, if we were to pick one, it would be our signature Latin party, Latin Vibes. The name says it all — it is about sharing the Latin vibe within each and every one of us, and the vibe extends across a room filled with great music and good times with friends.

How have you been able to celebrate and/or share your Latinx heritage as a Ross MBA student?

We have been able to do this through various club events — from professional gatherings like resume review workshops to social events like Latin vibes and salsa lessons. With that said, everything we do and how we carry ourselves around is always very energetic, friendly, and “Latino-like,” which we hope can influence others around us.

What does being Latinx mean to you, and/or what should others know about the Latinx community?

Being a Latino means being proud of your roots. It means traditions, family, and taking care of one another. It means sharing, especially when it comes to our great food traditions. Being a Latino means embracing the richness of our culture from north to south, east to west; we are all one.

How can the Michigan Ross community support the Latinx community?

A prestigious school like Michigan Ross already does great things for our community, and we are thankful for that. But if there is something we continuously struggle with it is job opportunities. As a renowned academic entity, I hope that Ross can influence companies to give more job opportunities to Latinos and to all international students.

VAMOS AZUL!!! (GO BLUE!)

Learn more about the Latin American Business Student Association