Jaime Eduardo Duque is an experienced world traveler. He once spent six months backpacking through East and Southeast Asia. He worked for four years in Chile, at the opposite end of South America from his home in Colombia. But he was surprised at what he found after he arrived at Vanderbilt to pursue his MBA.

“Coming in as an international student, I thought I only needed to learn about the U.S.,” Jaime says. “But I also ended up learning about many other places around the world that are different from my Latin American background. At Owen you get to know people from all over the U.S. and the world, and that changes you and impacts how you see the world.”

As someone who had seen other parts of the world, Jaime particularly appreciated the “real-world” focus of the Vanderbilt MBA program. “Theory is necessary, but Owen professors do a great job of translating that theory into real-life cases, and that is extremely helpful when you want to know what impact you are able to create in the jobs you are going to be pursuing. Classes allow you to put yourself in different situations out of your comfort zone and to become highly adaptable. I’m grateful for being thrown into challenging situations every day, knowing that the school will provide me with the right tools to succeed.”

Jaime came to Vanderbilt seeking to obtain the knowledge, skills and credentials to redirect his career from an operations role to a strategy and analytic focus. But, perhaps not surprisingly for a backpacker, he also enjoyed the opportunities to explore once he arrived. “These two years at Owen,” he says, “allow you to take risks and chances with a safety net You can get involved in entrepreneurship, social organizations, startups, and big legacy companies. This is the moment to try out and experience different things and help you realize what are the next steps in your career.”

Fun Fact: Jaime backpacked around southeast Asia for 6 months. He has more than 17,000 followers on Instagram. He is a Certified PADI Scuba diver.

“At Owen you get to know people from all over the U.S. and the world, and that changes you and impacts how you see the world.”