I permanently left home shortly after I turned 16 years old. I left everything familiar and comfortable to go entirely alone into an unfamiliar country. I waved good-bye to my parents, sisters, and friends and embarked on a life-altering journey. Though experiencing a vastly different country and its culture fascinated me, it was also tremendously difficult at the same time. I had to learn a new language, culture, people, and laws as well as ways to achieve success. It took a great deal of inspiration and hard work to go through that phase and to get where I am right now. I never fully realized the hardships associated with my decision to leave home for a foreign country at such an early age. It was quite possibly the most substantial accomplishment of my life, and I can honestly say I would be much less fulfilled as a person had I not seized the opportunity when I did.

So, I went to England to study English and then to America to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree at Emerson College. Despite the difficult move and initial language barrier, I was very successful at Emerson, graduating Magna Cum Laude with a GPA of 3.7.

After graduation, I took a Project Manager position with Performance Systems, Inc. (PSI), a Boston-based consulting and performance improvement firm. My experience at PSI has provided me with a fascinating and useful introduction to diverse industries in the United States. For example, I participated on a team that helped Pepsi-Cola reinvent their process for introducing a new product. I worked with the mutual fund firm Janus to reengineer their outdated new-hire program utilizing the latest technologies. Over a period of four months, I worked with the United States’ top 24 laparoscopic surgeons to develop an online Minimally Invasive Surgery training program for Ethicon Endo-Surgery. Despite the demands of travel, working overtime, and unpredictable situations, the work proved to be extremely rewarding.

In September of 2004, I enrolled in the MS·MBA program at Boston University School of Management. Boston University’s emphasis on innovation, technology, and teamwork was a perfect match for my background and goals. The MS·MBA program gave me general management perspective, in-depth understanding of various functional areas, knowledge of finance and marketing, knowledge of different information systems, and even more exposure to people from different backgrounds.

The decision to live, study, and work abroad became the defining moment that changed my life forever. Nothing has been quite the same since I left home in February 1996. For me, it was the ultimate learning experience about life, culture, survival skills, responsibility, and most importantly about myself. It has been a self-defining voyage that has allowed me to get in touch with the person I am and the opportunities I have before me.