Lucas Gonima
I am a personable and passionate person. My passion lies in knowing other people and their cultures. I have always had the desire to see the world, learn about others and different cultures. I hope to use what I learn from these experiences to help those who are less fortunate, enhance the developing world, and eventually make the United States a bilingual country.
“I decided to pursue the Master in International Relations and am glad I took that leap of faith.”
Leaving the corporate world to realign his career with his passions
Lucas Gonima is originally from the city of Cali in Colombia; however, his academic and professional career has been spent almost entirely in the United States. He graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration and a minor in Entrepreneurship. During his undergraduate studies, he completed two internships in sales. One was at Procter & Gamble, while the other was at NBC Sports Chicago. Upon graduating he accepted a full-time job offer and worked for two years in sales as an Account Executive for Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati.
However, staying in the corporate world was not part of his long-term plans. He saw himself doing more meaningful work by helping people and connecting them with the resources they need. He knew he wanted to study International Relations, and he wanted to study it in a city that was itself international, such as Madrid. With its prestige as a business school and the Master in International Relations curriculum as major factors, IE University was the place for Lucas to further his career trajectory.
What he liked about his program was its focus on preparing students to be global leaders. He also appreciated the diversity amongst his classmates, as students come from around the world to study at IE University. The difference in backgrounds and perspectives of his fellow classmates, along with the experience of living in such a culturally rich city, is something that Lucas will carry with him long after he graduates.
“My experience has been awe-inspiring, to say the least. To learn from such qualified and traveled professors has been incredible, and on top of that being able to create meaningful relationships with my classmates that will last a lifetime.”
When asked where he will be after graduation, Lucas did not hesitate in mentioning the United Nations World Tourism Organization. He says he would like to work there to help increase the amount of tourism in the developing world in order to enhance and strengthen their economies. IE University is also playing a part in Lucas achieving his professional goals beyond the classroom, as like all IE University students and alumni, Lucas counts on the support of the IE Talent & Careers team.
For Lucas, that means putting him in contact with the right people and organizations that he is interested in working for. After working in intergovernmental organizations or NGOs for several years, his next step is to start a company in the United States to teach children Spanish at an early age. When he does, he will still have the support of IE University to achieve this, both from Talent & Careers and from the alumni network.
Lucas encourages anyone who may be unsure about the Master in International Relations program to just jump right in. He quit his corporate job to pursue this degree and realign his career with his passions, and he hasn’t regretted it one bit. In his words, his experience was “awe-inspiring. It was incredible to learn from such qualified and well-traveled professors and create meaningful relationships with his classmates that will last a lifetime.” He feels that the whole world is truly at his fingertips—or just a call away.
