Student Spotlight: Alejandra Mejía
Alejandra Mejía is a current student in the Master of International Business (MIB) program. The international student, originally from Colombia, tells us why she chose the MIB program, her favorite thing about being at UF and why she believes in the power of a smile.
Q: Tell us about yourself.
Mejía: “I am a current MIB student at University of Florida and starting next spring, I will be a Master of Science in Information Systems and Operations Management (MS-ISOM) student, too. I was born and raised in Bogotá, Colombia, where I used to live with my parents, my younger brother and my two dogs! I have a Bachelor of Business Administration from Universidad de los Andes, and I have had the opportunity to work for PwC Colombia and Neilmed Pharmaceuticals. I consider myself a very enthusiastic person. I love going dancing, spending time with friends, playing soccer, reading, doing research and, recently, I enjoy learning how to code!”
Q: Why did you decide to come to the University of Florida? What is the best thing about being at UF/Gainesville?
Mejía: “I decided to come to UF to pursue my dream of studying and living abroad. Since I was a little girl, I have always enjoyed coming to Florida for vacations with my family, therefore Florida was one of the top places to apply for schools. Then, I learned about the wide variety of specialized master’s programs that Warrington offered and decided to apply for the MIB because of its flexibility and adaptability for what I wanted to do. The best thing about being a student at UF is all the opportunities that are available to you! As soon as I got here, I was just amazed. Today, I’m working on a research project in consumer behavior that I love! Also, it is very nice getting to know people that come from so many different countries and learning about their cultures and how business differs from country to country.”
Q: What was the most difficult process/thing in getting to where you are today?
Mejía: “Today’s world is constantly changing and keeping up with all changes while still acquiring new skills of what is available has been a challenging. Nonetheless, motivation to being a better professional every day is what keeps me going every day to learn and adapt to change. Also, during my application process to UF it was very difficult to postpone my plans due to the pandemic and adapt to the new changes it brought.”
Q: Tell us about your home country.
Mejía: “Colombia is one of the most beautiful and diverse countries in the world! We are ranked as the happiest country and from its beautiful beaches to the high Andes mountains, you will always find someone willing to help you with a kind smile. The diversity the country offers in every aspect can make people have unique experiences that will always come with good cup of the best coffee in the world. I have always admired the hardworking spirit of all Colombians and the willingness to succeed in life even when conditions are not the best ones. In fact, we have a word to describe it, “berraquera,” that I always admire from all my fellow Colombians.”
Q: What do you miss the most about your home country?
Mejía: “What I miss most about Colombia is my family, friends and the food! I really miss having an “arepa con queso” with a nice cup of coffee every morning. The colorfulness of everything in the country is something I miss, but that now I enjoy more when I visit. Also, I miss the cool nice weather from Bogotá, because sometimes it can get very hot here in Gainesville.”
Q: What other languages do you speak? What other countries have you been to?
Mejía: “Spanish is my native language, and I can speak a little French. In 2019, I went to France and Spain to do a Business Summer School. For vacation, I have had the opportunity to visit 23 different countries. My favorites are Greece, Montenegro, USA, Spain and Italy.”
Q: Tell us something really cool about yourself.
Mejía: “I consider myself to be a very loyal person. Therefore, something very cool about myself is that no matter how rough circumstances are I am always willing to help anyone who needs it in the best way I can. Also, I believe in the power of a smile to make someone’s day better, therefore I really like transmitting happiness and good energy to people through a kind smile. Also, I am very curious about how everything works and changes in my main field of interest, marketing. Therefore, I might consider going into a Ph.D. program in the future!”
