Bringing Bauer to Brazil
Bauer MBA Student Impresses on International Business Residency
For the first time, the C. T. Bauer College of Business Executive MBA program opened their annual International Business Residency (IBR) this summer to include all graduate students, with Professional MBA candidate Venkevin Satera joining the cohort on a trip to Brazil.
Satera has always been interested in exploring other countries and learning about the business models tied with that culture, he explained. Hailing from the Philippines, he said he already had a reference point for how companies worked overseas versus in the United States. He also had experience traveling to different countries because of his experience in the United States Marine Corps and U.S. Army, which actively deployed him overseas.
When he learned of the opportunity to travel to Brazil from the Office of Graduate & Professional Program's MBA and MS Student Experience Director Hisham Talib, he was quick to jump at it.
"I wouldn't have been able to go if not for him," Satera said. "Hisham was the one to tell me about it, and he helped give me the financial boost I needed to be able to afford it."
When Talib first spoke with Satera about IBR, what stood out to him most was his curiosity, professionalism and desire to broaden his global perspective. When he expressed concerns about the financial aspect, Talib said he didn't want the cost to be the reason Satera missed out on such a transformative opportunity, so he connected him with available funding resources.
"Seeing him become the first Professional MBA student to participate in the Executive MBA IBR is something we're incredibly proud of, and I hope his experience encourages more graduate students to pursue opportunities that challenge them and expand their horizons," Talib said.
Satera went in believing he would be the "underdog." As the only MBA among executives with years more experience than him, he said he felt pressured to try and keep up. However, his worries were unfounded when he fit in with the group right away.
"I feel honored to have been a part of the EMBA cohort for a week," he said. "I didn't feel excluded from the group. They really opened themselves up to me and made me feel like I belonged."
When he was in the military, he said he didn't interact much with his comrades, but his experience with the International Business Residency was different. Satera welcomed the new connections he made with peers, and he approached challenges from the perspective of someone who is accustomed to being thrown into new environments.
While in Brazil, Satera learned the value of communication and the importance of being adaptable. Because he was surrounded by his peers in the EMBA program, he said that made him more thoughtful in his responses and in asking questions that impressed both the business owners they were meeting and the faculty.
"Ven held his own," Department of Management & Leadership Instructional Associate Professor Barbara Carlin said. "I had no concerns that he wouldn't be able to keep up with the EMBA students. "
Satera's hard work paid off in the end. He had one of the highest scores in the class. Students were graded on the questions they prepared, their pitch decks when they were asked to present to companies and finally a reflection and debrief once they were back in Houston.
This was the first time other graduate students were welcomed on the trip, but it most definitely won't be the last, said EMBA Program Director Cindy Tamez. Seeing how Satera enjoyed himself made them confident in leaving it open for MBA students to join again next year, she added.
"One of the benefits of graduate school is to have the opportunity to make connections, network and get to know people on more than just a transactional basis," Carlin said.
Click here to learn more about the International Business Residency.
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