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I graduated with an M.B.A. from Ball State University in July of 2009 with a concentration in International Finance and Marketing.  I am bi-lingual and prior to starting the program, I had traveled extensively in Latin American for work.  The way cultural nuances shape business practices differently across borders intrigues me.  I feel greater sensitivity and a desire to absorb foreign ideas can be only positive in business negotiations.  My experiences with business outside of the US led me to choose the course of study that I did.  I found that the M.B.A. program provided invaluable experience in leadership, collaboration, time management and project management in tandem with the core study of finance, marketing, accounting, operations and information systems.

In 2003, I received a B.A. in Modern Languages and Classics, and I majored in Spanish.  Once again, my interest was based more on positive cultural differences than anything.  The psychology and mechanics of linguistics interests me more than classic literature and contemporary composition.  I largely learned Spanish through immersion as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in rural Idaho.  This allowed me to study outside of a standard undergraduate curriculum.  During my last undergraduate semester, I was invited to participate in a language immersion seminar at the Virginia Ball Center for Creative Inquiry.  My role was to work with local businesses and their Spanish speaking workforces.

Prior to my two-year mission I studied graphic design at Ball State University and at Indiana University in Bloomington.