Siro Lopez-Villanueva, a student in the MBA program at the Peter T. Paul College of Business and Economics, hails from Madrid, Spain, where he worked as a lawyer for two years at a company named Mahou. While the experience was valuable, he realized it wasn't his true calling and became more interested in the business aspects of his job.
“I wanted to change, and I always wanted to come to the U.S. to study something different,” Lopez-Villanueva says.
Once he committed to living in the U.S., he quit his job and searched for universities with an MBA program. He applied to three universities and decided that UNH was the right choice. With prospects of a new career and life ahead of him, Lopez-Villanueva is adjusting nicely to the learning culture in his new home.
“For most of the assignments, we must work in teams. It's cool because I can get to know people in my class because, in Spain, we usually work alone on our assignments,” he says.
Lopez-Villanueva is enjoying his classes and finds that the knowledge and experience of his professors allow him to learn a lot in a short time. Although he initially struggled with some of the changes, Lopez-Villanueva has persevered and feels incredibly supported by the staff in his transition to Paul College. The most important lesson he has learned is to be more confident and connect with others.
“I’m shy and an introvert, but I have learned to be more confident in myself and try to get out of my comfort zone,” he says.
While this is his first time attending a university in the U.S., it is also his first living in a dorm. Lopez-Villanueva says that while an undergrad in Spain, he would attend class and then go home at the end of the day; there was no living at school. However, he has found living on campus to be beneficial. He has connected with other international students who understand what it is like to be far from home.
Although he is still determining what he wants to do post-graduation, Lopez-Villanueva is gravitating towards finance and likes the idea of working at a bank. He feels that he is good with numbers and finds the subject interesting. Additionally, he aspires to continue living in the U.S., exploring different cities, and connecting with more people.
