From the Master of International Business to Oracle

Raquel “Rocky” Cartaya completed her Master of International Business (MIB) in the spring of 2020. She currently works at Oracle. See how the Master of International Business program helped her achieve her career aspirations.

Rocky Cartaya in Brazil.

Q: Tell us about your background.

Cartaya: “I grew up in Hallandale Beach, FL and then moved to Sarasota, FL to attend Cardinal Mooney Catholic High School. When I was younger, I loved playing tennis, and I continued to play through high school where I also picked up lacrosse. Moreover, during that time I participated in many leadership programs that provided me a platform to organize a variety of community service projects. My favorite projects had an environmental focus and were facilitated by Mote Marine Laboratory, while I was an intern and as a volunteer in Sumpango, Guatemala for a mission trip. I also enjoyed giving back to communities abroad when traveling with sister and parents.”

Q: Why did you join the MIB Program?

Cartaya: “We have travelled to over 30 countries now, which was a big part of why I enrolled in UF’s MIB program towards the end of my undergrad studies. In addition to the exposure I had received to other cultures in my life, another large reason I enrolled in the MIB was because I wanted to discover ways to apply all that I had learned as a business student at the University of Florida.”

Q: What was your best experience in the MIB program?

Cartaya: “Looking back, much like most, I will carry the memories of the Global Immersion Experience forever. Through the program, a small group of MIB students, myself included, had the opportunity to travel to Brazil to learn about its culture and the influenced of different industries upon their culture.”

Q: What are you doing now?

Cartaya: “After a bittersweet graduation from MIB in the spring of 2020, I was lucky enough to get a position as a Business Development Consultant for Oracle that I would begin that summer. In this role, I am tasked with learning about emerging technologies, especially within the Cloud, so that I can work with small and medium businesses as they grow and change. Learning about the way technology shapes our day to day lives has been very rewarding, and I hope I can continue to make my managers and organization proud.”

Rocky Cartaya at Machu Picchu.

Q: Any words of wisdom for current MIB graduate students?

Cartaya: “To those undergraduate or MIB students that were not so fortunate in regard to maintaining job offers from companies you planned to work for pre-COVID, I advise you to keep your heads high and leverage the Gator Nation’s incredible alumni network! I could not have been more fortunate than to have had the network I gained as a student during both my undergraduate and graduate experiences. Those connections are one of the main things that prepared me for undergraduate studies, as well as fantastic professors that maintain high standards for their students’ achievement. The collaboration and hands-on learning from the program is unmatched and has also helped me transition to my role at Oracle. I could not be more honored to be a part of the program, and I know it will serve me as both a person and a professional forever.”

Q: Tell us three cool things about you.

Cartaya: “1. I’ve deeply disliked chocolate since birth, even though it pains me to know I am missing out on a few good deserts. 2. I have free dived with sharks in Bimini, Bahamas during Great Hammerheads season to assist the Bimini Biological Research Center in their marine research. 3. Although I identify with my Hispanic family, my great-grandfather was fully Chinese, but when immigrated to Cuba, he changed his last name which was later passed on to my father and then me.”