Mexican Masters student hopes to work in Australia
Published on 24 October, 2003
Mexican MBA (Master of Business Administration) student Bertha Montoya will soon graduate from Central Queensland University and return home after more than a year of living in Rockhampton.
Bertha arrived and commenced studies at CQU in July 2002 holding a Bachelor of Economics from Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon and three years of working experience.
From Monterrey in Mexico, Bertha initially found the Australian accent difficult to understand but living with an Australian family near the Rockhampton Campus and working in the community has helped make communication easier.
By December 2002, she completed the requirements for a Graduate Certificate in Management. She continued with her studies, completing a Graduate Diploma in Management in April 2003 and plans to finish her Master of Business Administration (Marketing Management) at the end of Winter Term 2003 and graduate at the ceremony in March 2004.
As well as studying (receiving High Distinctions and Distinctions for her efforts), Bertha has managed to supplement her experiences and her income working four jobs simultaneously: at the Population Research Laboratory at CQU’s Faculty of Arts, Health and Sciences; marking assignments and papers for various lecturers; as a personal tutor at Nulloo Yumbah; and in a restaurant.
In addition to her academic and work commitments, Bertha is in charge of the marketing operations of the CQU International Students Alliance and is an active member of Rotary International.
She said it was a challenge to obtain satisfactory academic results, support herself and fulfil her extra curricular activities.
“The satisfaction of accomplishing these goals means a lot for me as a woman and as a Mexican. It proves that no challenge is out of reach when you focus and work hard.".
Bertha is expecting to become a permanent resident of Australia next year and plans to return to Australia and start working in order to acquire international experience.
As she believes she is the only Mexican in Rockhampton, Bertha is looking forward to the arrival of her parents who will soon be visiting before all return home for Christmas.