Name: Alfonso Varela
Age: 25
High School: The British Schools
Degree Program: Bachelor's Degree in Management and Administration
Year of graduation: 2005
Professional Experience: Manager of the Entrepreneur Services Division at Endeavor Uruguay
Interview published in June 2006.
"I chose to join a nonprofit organization to help others and continue applying what I learned in college. Many of the cases involving Endeavor entrepreneurs originate in college, which made me even more interested in the organization," said Alfonso Varela, a graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Management and Administration and head of the Entrepreneur Services department at Endeavor, an institution dedicated to guiding, advising, and fostering the growth of entrepreneurs and their companies.
Alfonso started working at Endeavor in 2004, eight months before graduating, although he had wanted to join the organization ever since it established a presence in Uruguay. “It was a job I sought out. When Endeavor set up shop in Uruguay, I got in touch with one of its founders here, but I was in my first few years of college and decided to focus entirely on my studies,” he recalled.
The graduate identifies and selects entrepreneurs in Uruguay. In addition, they assess their needs and ensure that Endeavor’s resources to meet those needs are made available to them.
Alfonso had a knack for business from a young age. He lived downtown, near the family business (Varela Radio), and would go there to play on Saturdays. What’s more, his father, uncle, and grandfather are all “through-and-through” businessmen.
He emphasized that "the required courses are very useful and interesting" because they encourage students to put what they’ve learned in class into practice. He also noted that "the professors are young, have a fresh perspective on the real world, and are very well-prepared."