QS MBA Scholarship Winner: More than Profit Margins

José Luis Marin Larios is currently a student, studying an MBA at Goizueta Business School, Emory University. However it was a commitment to helping others rather than himself access education which led to him being awarded a QS Community MBA scholarship.

Finding himself at a point where was left a little cold by his career in consulting, he decided that it was time for him to give something back. “I was looking for something different, a fulfilling activity, something and somewhere where I could add value and feel that I was doing something not for myself but for others.” When an opportunity arose to spend time in Kolkata, India, working at non-profit organizations, therefore, he leapt at the opportunity. His love of travel and adventure played no small part in this decision…

While there, he helped to establish an organization dedicated to keeping children off the streets, and giving them access to a decent education. “What allows individuals to succeed, to have a better life and to achieve their goals, is information, knowledge, education. Children who grow up in the streets don´t know other way of living other than begging for money, stealing or working for criminals, because they don´t have access to other information; they don´t know that with a good education they can have better life and access to opportunities.”

In the long term, he also believes that only through education can we effect systematic change, to collectively work towards the resolutions of the challenges faced by humanity as a whole.

As it tends to go with such experiences, it was two-way traffic, and the Goizueta Business School student got something out of it too. “I learned that if you want to be a leader you have to connect with people, and the way to connect is through listening and understanding. People need to be heard and understood, and if you understand what they need, you can manage them better and they will follow you as a leader.”

The path to Goizueta Business School

Marin’s own educational path started at the University of Granada, at which he studied a B.B.A. (Bachelor of Business Administration) as well as an LLB in Law. Does he feel that his background in law has furnished him with skills that have served him well in the world of business? Law, he points out, is what makes business possible in the first place: “If we’re able to do business, it is because there is a legal framework guaranteeing certain conditions exist which make that possible. I also decided to study law,” he adds, “because it is a good complement to the business world. My understanding of regulation and laws allowed me to be successful in certain projects and take advantage of opportunities.”

But, of course, the MBA scholarship winner has now reached the apex of his educational journey (thus far), with his MBA at Goizueta Business School. “I always wanted to do an MBA to develop my managerial skills and to be able to develop my career in international fields and organizations. I am looking to learn how to lead organizations and how to identify potential opportunities and take action to accomplish them.”

He chose Goizueta Business School, he says, because of the strong sense of community, and the school’s inclination towards non-profits and socially responsible firms. The experience so far, he says, has been challenging. “It has been intense, with tons of classes, assignments and presentations, but,” he adds, “it is also a great experience. I am learning a lot, and I am growing as professional and individual.”

So what are his plans for the future? Once again, his desire to make a difference comes to the fore: “My plan is to make a difference to society. I don't want to work for a company just to generate profits; I want to feel that I am helping the community. Apart from my professional career, I will continue working with non-profits and on social projects.” He is already involved with several non-profit clubs at business school, and is planning local projects in Atlanta as well as a trip to Nicaragua.

This MBA scholarship winner, it seems, will not be satisfied unless he makes a real and profound difference to the world. Doesn’t get more ambitious than that really!