Name: Alexander Beare
Age: 27
High School: Instituto Uruguayo Argentino (I.U.A. - Punta del Este)
Degree: Bachelor’s Degree in Management and Administration
Year of Graduation: 2009
Current Position: Operations Department at Merrill Lynch
Interview published in April 2010.
In 2002, Alexander began studying for a Bachelor’s Degree in Management and Administration at ORT University. In 2004, he participated in a student exchange program with Idaho State University. He has been working at Merrill Lynch since 2009.
Alexander decided to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree in Management and Administration due to his interest in business topics. “I’ve always been passionate about numbers and everything related to starting businesses.” He chose the degree program after realizing it offered “the perfect combination of courses.”
“I chose ORT because of its global prestige, the convenient class schedules, and the quality and experience of the professors I would have throughout the program,” Alexander recalled.
“I really enjoyed the program. Since I enrolled, I’ve seen how the institution has grown and improved year after year to become what it is today: the best university in Uruguay, ranked among the top 500 universities in the world. As more students enrolled, ORT kept pace with that growth through expansions and improvements,” he noted.
He highlighted the excellent service provided by the Library. “They were always friendly when I went to look for a book or stayed late studying.”
He expressed satisfaction with the importance placed on the “Student Evaluation,” a questionnaire completed by students and graduates to identify the program’s strengths and areas for improvement.
“From the moment I entered college, I was able to form an excellent group of friends with whom I still talk today.” In this regard, he highlighted the importance of group projects that facilitate interaction. “These mandatory assignments foster teamwork and are very useful in the future when you start working and interacting with strangers,” he noted.
In 2004, he participated in the first international student exchange program offered by the School of Business and Social Sciences. “I went with a friend to study for a semester at Idaho State University, a university located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains in the United States. It was an incredible, unforgettable, and very enriching experience,” he said.
After beginning his studies at ORT, he worked as an auditor at the Conrad Hotel casino: “It was my first job; I was able to apply several of the tools I’d learned throughout my degree.” He also worked as an Executive Assistant and Trader at two financial firms in Zonamerica. He currently works in the Operations department at Merrill Lynch, a subsidiary of the U.S. investment bank.
He believes that the university prepares students and provides the necessary tools to enter the job market. “What I value most about ORT is the emphasis placed on fostering teamwork. When you begin your professional life, you realize that it is an essential tool for surviving in the dynamic world of work. The skills I acquired throughout my degree made the transition from student life to the professional world much easier.”
Alexander admits that he has many fond memories of college. “Our time as college students was by no means uneventful; it became a fundamental and important stage in the formation of each of our lives,” he recalled. He hopes to continue his education and pursue a Master’s in Financial Management at ORT University.