A flurry of final exams, a intense week preparing the final exam, the last week of bonding with friends in Ibiza, Mallorca and Malaga…and then, the culmination of ten months of case studies, powerpoint presentations, excel spreadsheets and workgroup hours, the Graduation Ceremony.
Students lined up to receive their beca, the traditional sash worn by graduates in Spain, in the lobby of the Palacio de Congresos at the Campo de Naciones, and then marched into the auditorium by specialization. The commencement speech was delivered by Beatriz González-Cristóbal, Executive Vice President at Hermès International. Ms. González-Cristóbal, an IE Executive MBA graduate, proudly displayed the beca that she herself had worn at her own graduation over 20 years ago. She paid tribute to the education she received at IE, calling out Prof. Joaquín Garralda, as well as her husband, a classmate in her Executive MBA program, while imparting advice about how to find a job (you should scan the newspaper ads) and insisting on the value of a well-rounded education (knowing a “useless” language like Italian may make or break an interview). Ms. González-Cristóbal’s effortless poise and eloquence set the stage for a truly special event.
MIM Associate Director Krystina Dos Santos took to the stage to read out the names of all the students, calling them up to the stage to shake hands with Santiago Íñiguez and receive their diploma. She was joined by MIM alumnus Manuel Gener, last year’s recipient of IE Business School’s Best Student award, to hand out this year’s Best Student award to Lachezar Arabadzhiev, a graduate of the Master in Finance program. Finally, Professors Luis Fernández-Revuelta and Ana Rumschisky both received awards for Best Professor, along with standing ovations from their grateful students.
We will miss all 178 of the MIM graduates, but we wish them the best of luck in their future careers and we all look forward to welcoming them back on campus as alumni!
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