To the crazy ones | My final words for the Global MBA Class of 2020-2021

In my first year of University, one of our professors gave us a piece of advice that defined the rest of my journey throughout graduate and now postgraduate school:

"You enter alone into university, but you will need each other all along the way if you want to graduate".

I never imagined?how true his words would turn out to be.

As a matter of fact, those words summarize the essence of what I have?learned from all of you working together.

Many of you might not know this, but studying a Master’s abroad was my dream ever since I started University and probably even before, this dream dates back to my secondary school years.

But after graduating, I just couldn’t find the right program or the right school. Then COVID came and probably, as for many of you, it represented an?opportunity to start over.

But starting a Master's abroad in the middle of a pandemic? Come on? Who does that?

I don’t think this group we have here was a coincidence or an accident. I don’t believe in that. You need a crazy group of people with crazy dreams to make things happen.

The crazy ones that Steve Jobs described so well:

In the opening day - and in most days - I still remember seeing you all through the screen of my computer, from my living room’s couch in pyjamas and wondering - when or if - I ever would be able to meet you all. But most importantly, if taking a Master's program in these conditions was worth it.

Then we started working together and had all the lessons, leadership talks, and guest speakers.

As time went by, this feeling of I’m in the right program, in the right school, at the right time but most importantly; with the right people, grew stronger, and that made all the challenges worth it. Even waking up at 3:00 AM to take the classes from the other side of the world, even sleeping in 3-4 hour batches, even not sleeping at all.

During my BBS interview, Professor Leone said to me: when you join BBS you’ll join a family.?And this has certainly been my experience. Thanks to all the BBS team who were extremely supportive and understanding of all the situations that may arise when attending to and delivering an MBA program in the middle of a pandemic, it was a group effort through which we all learned and grew together.

This MBA has been an opportunity for many of us to restart life or to change our path.

But having a Master's degree?is not only a privilege is also a responsibility, with the society with our countries, our families and ourselves.

And certainly, the comments and discussions in class reminded me that:

"The most valuable aspect of every experience we have in life is the people we meet along the way".

Because this will leave a footprint and change who you are at your core.

I’ve spent a lot of time with all of you on teams, literally on Teams.?There were some times when we’ve inspired each other and others when we just wanted to kill each other.

But every time I felt that I had someone I could turn to, that I was part of a team even from abroad and I hope this was also a feeling you all?share. I will always remember some of the gestures that you have, your understanding and solidarity when one of us was just not feeling fine and the others pitched in to support, our teamwork studying for the tests (I'm looking at you finance & accounting), when some of you called me in the middle of the night so I wouldn't skip the class, or when we just cheered us p to go together through yet another stressful deadline.

It’s been very inspiring to see you working so passionately, but also supporting each other through the different challenges this year has posed upon us. And I want to thank you all very warmly for your support all along the way and for bringing the best of you in each project.

You are extremely smart, gifted, and talented professionals - I really believe this-, but most importantly human beings. Never lose that human side and don't forget the human aspect of business because, especially now, we’ve realized that the world needs it.

It’s been a privilege to meet you all, to have worked with you, and to call many of you colleagues and friends.

And I don’t only wish us all the utmost success, because I am sure we will be successful in writing a new chapter in history.

Thanks to the BBS Team. Thanks to each and everyone of you.

We'll meet again in 2022!