Aida Loggiodice

Aida Loggiodice always seemed to cringe when people asked her the question, “Where are you from?” The reason behind her reaction was quite simple—born in the US to parents of Venezuelan and Italian heritage, she holds three passports and moved around a lot while growing up. Aida has lived in Venezuela, Spain, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Italy, and now, Germany. In short, she describes herself as a citizen of the world.

During her undergraduate studies, Aida was part of a student association called Global Business Brigades Milan, which provided pro-bono consulting to promising micro-enterprises in Ghana. This—along with her passion for women’s empowerment and economic development—sparked her interest in pursuing a Master in International Development, which she then completed at IE University.

Now, Aida is doing her traineeship as a Pan-European Seal at the European Patent Office (EPO) in Munich, Germany. She works tirelessly to raise awareness of the important link between innovation and sustainability. Her current traineeship was made possible because of the partnership between IE University and the EPO, which only allows students nominated by partner universities to apply to the program. According to Aida, working at an international organization has been an amazing experience that has allowed her to apply classroom theory to real-life situations.

Her decision to come to IE University was heavily influenced by its partnership with the United Nations System Staff College. This really appealed to Aida, who felt that “this partnership added a lot of value which similar programs did not have.” She was also drawn to the unique learning methodology, stating that “the fact we would learn from people who have directly worked in the field of development and not only in the world of academia was something I greatly valued.”

During the course of her studies, she had many great conversations with her colleagues and professors, exchanging ideas and differing opinions about numerous concepts every day. Aida loved being a part of such a diverse environment, crediting it with giving her a broader perspective and making her a more curious, open-minded development professional.

IE University definitely shaped Aida for the future. She admits that, at first, she was somewhat scared. Starting a master’s program at age twenty-one can be daunting and overwhelming, but she was soon pleasantly surprised by how much age didn’t matter. Aida notes that “what really mattered was exchanging our thoughts, our ideas and our opinions in a respectful manner. Our passion for sustainable development is what united us and made us a family.”

In one of the many deep and interesting conversations she had with her classmates, Aida took away advice that drives her every day: “In a world as broken as the one we live in today, it is easy to feel overwhelmed by everything that is wrong and a sense that you have to be the one to fix everything. Instead, we have to choose one thing to make right and pursue that.” Now, choosing right and changing the world have become her daily mantra. She recommends that anyone interested in the Master in International Development should find their motivation by asking themselves, “where is it that I see myself doing the most good?”

Aida’s experience at IE University shaped her way of thinking and prepared her for the global stage. Apart from feeling valued and cared for, the experience also opened her up to lifelong relationships. She notes, “It was amazing to be in an environment full of young people who are delusional enough to think they can also change the world.” In the future, Aida would love to work at an impact investment firm or in sustainable finance—but she is already well on her way to changing the world.

“I like to think that I am a Third Culture Kid passionate about making a difference anywhere in the world, no matter how seemingly small.”