Name: Jimena Chiara Gallinal
Age: 27
High School: John XXIII
Degree Program: Bachelor of Arts in Economics
Year of graduation: 2009
Employment: Research Assistant at the Inter-American Development Bank
Interview published in October 2010.
In 2003, Jimena began pursuing a bachelor's degree in economics at ORT University. In 2007, she worked as a research assistant in the Department of Economics at the School of Management and Social Sciences. She currently works at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
Jimena decided to study at ORT because of “the opportunity to choose a specialization within the program (Economics, Finance, or Business Administration), the university’s international reputation, and, above all, its excellent faculty.”
Ever since she was a child, she thought she would become an architect, but over time she realized that it wasn’t her calling. “In 2002, during the economic crisis, I became more interested in understanding how the economy works, so I decided to pursue a bachelor’s degree in economics. From the very first semester, I was excited about the program and realized I had made the right decision,” she recalled.
“I have very fond memories of college: the facilities are excellent, the library is very well-stocked, and there is computer equipment available to students. The staff are always willing to help students, while the professors are highly qualified and very approachable both during and outside of class hours to address students’ questions,” he said.
He recalled that he made a good group of friends during his time at university. “We’re still in touch today, and we get together every now and then. In that sense, I think the system of required group projects is great because it encourages teamwork from the very beginning of the program,” he said. “My best memories are of those afternoons at school working on the group projects, because despite the nerves and the pressure to meet the deadline, we had a lot of fun working together,” he explained.
In 2007, he began working as a Research Assistant in the Department of Economics at the School of Management and Social Sciences. “My work involved building and managing databases, conducting statistical and econometric analyses, and preparing research reports. It was a very valuable experience during which I learned a great deal and was able to apply, for the first time, the theoretical knowledge I had acquired during my studies,” he said.
That same year, he served as a teaching assistant for the Principles of Economics course in the first semester of the bachelor’s program. “Since then, I have been a teaching assistant for the Game Theory course, which is taught in the sixth semester of the program.”
Since 2009, she has been working at the Inter-American Development Bank as a Research Assistant in the Capital Markets and Financial Institutions Division. “My job involves assisting the sector specialist with strategic planning, conducting financial sector monitoring studies, overseeing ongoing projects aimed at promoting economic and social development, and designing and processing new projects,” she explained.
“The challenges I face in my day-to-day work lead me to appreciate the education I received at university more and more. Thanks to the solid theoretical foundation my degree provided, I feel I can understand and critically analyze the various situations that arise,” he concluded.