On Tuesday, April 1, the Sodre National Auditorium welcomed ORT university graduates to receive their degrees and celebrate with their families.
The dean of the School of Management and Social Sciences, Dr. Teresa Cometto, accompanied by the academic secretary of the School of Management and International Studies, Dr. Ricardo Kaufmann, presented commemorative plaques to the graduates of the School’s programs in Public Accounting, Economics, International Studies, and Management and Administration.
The three graduates who took the stage last received their awards as graduates with honors, recognized for their adherence to institutional principles, as well as for their academic performance and high grades: Catalina Tagliaferro and Camila Iruleguy, both from the International Studies program, and Lucía Durán, from the Management and Administration program. In this interview, they reflected on what they learned as students and on the professional steps they are already taking.
My time in academia
What stands out most about your time in college? “How much I’ve grown,” Iruleguy replied.
According to her, it’s a combination of different types of growth so that “every aspect of the degree program is put to good use.” On the one hand, you internalize the theoretical aspects; on the other, “ORT and college life itself teach you a lot about life in general: how to face challenges, how to work as part of a team, and how to deal with stress and deadlines.”
Iruleguy mentioned a feeling that stayed with her throughout her career and that, at first, made her feel somewhat uncomfortable: “The feeling that the more you learn, the less you know.”
My degree humbled me. It opened the door to a million opportunities and taught me that, even when I think I have all the answers, there’s always more to discover.
Camila Iruleguy, B.A.
On a personal level, Lucía Durán expressed her gratitude to all the coordinators, professors, and guest speakers she encountered along the way for “the tools they provided to help us enter this professional world.” Academically, everything she learned was “extremely relevant”: “Now that I’m working, I can put it into practice and view it from a holistic perspective, not just a theoretical one,” she said.
In addition, Durán welcomed the opportunity to earn his master’s degree through a dual-degree program at Rennes School of Business (France), which is already opening doors for him professionally.
For her part, Catalina Tagliaferro highlighted “the breadth of subjects,” which range from politics, history, diplomacy, trade, and economics to culture, as well as electives such as sustainability, organized crime, security, and terrorism. “International Studies is a degree program where you can really focus on what interests you.”
-
The Impact of Teachers on Student Success
Catalina Tagliaferro transferred to ORT after spending two years at another university, so receiving institutional support was crucial. In that regard, she highlighted the role played by Andrés Bancalari, the academic coordinator of International Studies.
Inés Pousadela, a professor of Comparative Politics in the International Studies program, was the name Camila Iruleguy singled out. “When I graduated, Inés and Andrés—my academic advisor—offered me a unique opportunity: to serve as an adjunct professor in the course alongside Inés. Needless to say, an opportunity like that meant—and still means—the world to me.”
In the Business and Administration program, Lucía Durán paid tribute to two professors: Sofía Labadie and Federico Rodríguez. She thanked Sofía for all the tools she provided that enabled her to “look within myself, analyze myself, build on my strengths, and work on improving my weaknesses.” She thanked Federico for helping her “ask the right questions to arrive at deeper answers, insights, and analysis.”
-
Opportunities and challenges for the future
The three graduates agreed that the challenge lies in continuing to grow, developing professionally, and gaining experience. “This is just the beginning,” said Lucía Durán.
According to Catalina Tagliaferro, one of the great benefits of studying International Studies is “being able to do almost anything you want.” She is currently focusing on foreign trade, and while she plans to continue delving deeper into that field, she hasn’t ruled out exploring other areas in the future.
“My greatest hope is that the challenges never end,” concluded Camila Iruleguy. “If my career has taught me anything, it’s that we have to learn to be flexible, adapt, and always follow our curiosity.”
-
Achieving Academic Excellence
What does graduating with honors mean to these graduates? “It’s recognition of the sacrifice and constant effort,” replied Lucía Durán. “Although my close friends and family know it—and I know it too—it’s nice to be able to physically see the fruits of that effort. I’m proud. All that effort has paid off.”
“I was the one who went up on stage to accept the award, so it might seem like the effort was all mine, but nothing could be further from the truth,” said Camila Iruleguy.“Graduating with honors means living far away from my parents (who are in Guichón, Paysandú, where there are no universities to attend), forcing my sister to listen to the same presentation five times to make sure she understands what I want to convey, saying no to trips/parties/plans because they conflict with midterm dates, and a million other things that every student, no matter what they’re studying, understands. Graduating with honors means just that: that you put in your best effort and that there were people around you who also wanted to see you succeed.”
Earning a college degree is something that fills me with pride, but doing it this way makes it even more exciting.
Catalina Tagliaferro, B.A.
