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Mariana Vélez Trejos

Mariana Vélez Trejos

About me

I’m 100% Colombian, but I have lived in Vietnam and Madrid for some time now. I finished high school in Madrid and loved it so much that I decided to stay for university here. In my free time, I like talking about Formula 1 and cars in general and I watch the race every weekend.

Mariana Vélez Trejos
Undergraduate student
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Bachelor in Behavior and Social Sciences

"The multidisciplinary approach that the Bachelor in Behavior & Social Sciences had was definitely what attracted me the most."

Mariana Vélez Trejos

Understanding human behavior to drive positive change

Mariana knew that coming to IE University to study the Bachelor in Behavior & Social Sciences would open her up to a multidisciplinary experience. She wanted to study something related to psychology and human behavior, but with a broader perspective that connected to the business and marketing sides of it. The Bachelor in Behavior & Social Sciences ticked all the right boxes.

In her eyes, knowledge of human behavior is crucial, especially in our ever-changing world. Mariana believes that understanding how and why people behave the way they do will facilitate our understanding of change, as it provides the basis of success and failure, and, as a result, of problem-solving and adaptation.

Mariana believes that Bachelor in Behavior & Social Sciences students are different from other students, as they are able to analyze and understand others in a unique way. She describes herself and her fellow classmates as dynamic and open-minded people, who prepare themselves and are learning to drive change.

So far, Mariana has enjoyed courses in her program including “The Psychology of Cognition and Emotion”, which is taught by Ellen Hamilton. After she graduates, Mariana would like to gain some professional experience and then return to the classroom with a master’s program. She is not sure yet which branch of the Bachelor in Behavior & Social Sciences program interests her most, but for now, she is fascinated by marketing and human resources.

All of her courses align with human behavior, and from a more entrepreneurial perspective, are related to consumer behavior. Mariana is confident that her program equips her with the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed—a broad perspective for her to work in the professional sphere.

Mariana wishes she had known before starting her program that the psychological and analytical aspects come later on in the program. Initially, she thought that they would dive into human behavior from day one, but has since benefited from learning the basis of it all before getting into the specifics. She has gained skills in data analysis and this base has been essential to her understanding of more complex ideas. She wishes she had been more patient and open-minded in the sense of working up a basic knowledge.

Mariana has also joined the IEU Communication Lab and is gaining professional experience in designing and creating written and audiovisual content for clients. She is putting her knowledge of human behavior to work in this role.

During her first year at IE University, Mariana was a member of the IE Volleyball Club and was part of IE Athletics. She describes the experience as incredible as being part of the team “felt like another family away from home”. She is also a member of the IE Marketing Club and IE Girl Up Club.

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