Name: Eliana Hodara
Age: 25
High School: The British Schools
Degree Program: Bachelor's Degree in International Studies
Year of graduation: 2005
Job: Coordinates the company's franchises
Interview published in April 2007.
In 2001, she began pursuing a bachelor’s degree in International Studies at ORT University. In 2003, she participated in an exchange program and spent a semester at the University of San Diego (California). In 2005, she completed an internship at the company Lolita and graduated.
When she finished high school, Eliana wasn’t sure what she wanted to study, so she decided to look into different degree programs. “I attended various information sessions at ORT until I read about the Bachelor’s Degree in International Studies and went to that session.” That’s when she realized the program covered a variety of subjects she enjoyed. “It included marketing, economics, law, politics, a bit of statistics, and business—it covered several things I liked. I researched the program further, asked around, and in 2001 I started the program.”
As she progressed through her studies, Eliana discovered her calling. "In my second year, I realized that the program gave me a broad understanding of various topics, and the elective courses allowed me to focus on the field of international trade. I enjoy everything about imports and exports, especially learning about the different international agreements and tariff barriers in various countries."
During her third year of college, Eliana spent a semester at the University of San Diego (California). "It was an amazing opportunity provided by ORT. While there, I took many international courses, such as Chinese politics and international economics." Eliana highlighted the significant academic value of the exchange program, which allowed her to experience different cultures.
Toward the end of her studies, she did a three-month internship at Lolita. "I was hired full-time and have been working there for two years; I coordinate all of Lolita's international franchises (in Colombia, Panama, Venezuela, and Saudi Arabia) and am responsible for analyzing the market and identifying the barriers to entry for our clothing."
"Every day, I apply different aspects of my degree to my work: international trade, economics, computer science, English, Portuguese, and statistics. Other areas of knowledge, such as Latin American history, are also useful to me, since almost all the franchises are from Latin America, and you begin to understand why certain things happen."
"I'm satisfied with my job because it allows me to grow professionally by researching markets and regularly preparing reports for the company's director. In the future, I'd definitely like to work in an international setting."