Business master from Colombia (Issue 24, 2011)
Bryan Eduardo Porras is from Colombia and decided to undertake the Master of Business Administration (MBA) at La Trobe as part of his professional development.
The need for high-level management skills became clear to Bryan and La Trobe’s great reputation, beautiful campus, people and alumni (which Bryan had the opportunity to meet) helped him make the decision to come here to study. Bryan found the first couple of days somewhat difficult, but during orientation he was able to meet many students who were going through the same thing.
Bryan loves his life in Australia, and has taken many opportunities to explore Melbourne as much as he can.
‘Living in Australia is one of the best experiences of my life. Exploring a new country with many new friends has been one of the most interesting things.
‘Going out to get to know the city, exploring music places, spending the day at the beach, having a BBQ with friends, and walking in the city are some of the activities that helped me more.
‘It is impossible to pick just one memorable experience, because the whole trip has been wonderful. But one of the things I enjoyed the most was the GSM Gala Dinner at Crown Casino. It was a wonderful experience because it allowed me to change the student context for something more formal, but also fun,’ he says.
Bryan has a zest for life and in between studying he enjoys the Queen Victoria Night Market, the end of exams party at La Trobe’s Eagle Bar and the AFL Grand Final.
Bryan will always remember La Trobe and the great times he has had here, living it up as much as he can. He feels comfortable on campus and likes to explore the huge grounds.
‘My time at La Trobe University has been very valuable. Some of the things I can highlight are the festivals organised in the Agora, my classes at the sports centre, and how could I forget my long hours in the library.
‘The campus community is very friendly, knowledgeable and I really enjoy exploring the university. I think it's an easy environment to settle in.’
Bryan is confident for the future, and believes the MBA has given him the right professional skills to master his industry.
‘The professional experience opened the door to a world of possibilities at a professional level. In the first instance, having studied in another country, exposure to a new culture, different ways of working, different people, has allowed me to understand in different ways multidisciplinary teams and managing diversity in a company. Likewise, I have been exposed to different management, financial, administrative and sales styles, which enriched my experience as a professional.’
If you would like to find out more about studying a MBA at La Trobe University, visit latrobe.edu.au/international.