An International Perspective from Current Students
Husband and wife, Martin Eguiguren and Antonia Wurth, hail from Santiago, Chile and are both current graduate students at Leeds. The couple moved to Boulder the summer of 2018 when Martin began the Full-Time MBA program. Antonia decided to pursue the MS in Real Estate in part because of Martin’s experience with the MBA. The outdoor lifestyle of Colorado was a major factor in their choice to relocate to Boulder, and both now are expected to graduate in 2020. Here is a look at why Martin and Antonia chose Leeds for grad school and how the experience has been so far.
Both Martin and Antonia are passionate about outdoor activities.
[Katherine Uhlir] Martin, why did you decide to pursue an MBA?
[Martin Eguiguren] When I got out of college, I started studying engineering, but switched to architecture after one year. Just after graduating, I founded an architecture studio with three other partners and started working with my dad. With some years under my belt managing the studio, I felt I was short on some management and financial skills – and other skills that I would probably need in the future. So, I decided to pursue an MBA with the hope of coming back after a few years in the U.S. with a toolkit to be able to manage the family business.
[KU] How did you discover and then choose Leeds?
[ME] I was studying the GMAT already in addition to working at the time when I meet a Leeds alum who did his MBA at Leeds 7 years ago. We ended up having a lot of things in common and he strongly recommend I apply to CU. End of the story: best decision ever.
[KU] How has the move to Boulder been? Was there anything unexpected or surprising about life in Boulder?
[Both] We love Boulder. Moving from a city as big as Santiago to a small city like Boulder was a huge change. We appreciate moving around the city just on our bikes, going to classes with a very short commute, the healthy lifestyle of Boulder, and the outdoor lifestyle that the town enjoys. We knew there were a lot of sports and mountains in the area and we have been enjoying all the summer and winter activities available.
The couple with fellow Leeds grad students on a ski trip to Jackson Hole.
[KU] Antonia, did Martin’s decision to pursue an MBA affect your choice to enroll in an MS program?
[Antonia Wurth] Yes, totally. I came here to Boulder because of Martin’s decision to pursue an MBA. I was working in Chile when we got married and decided to follow him here. Unfortunately, it was not an option to work here as the wife of a student. When we first moved, I didn’t have a plan, but after a year without studying or working I knew I needed to commit to something. I always wanted to pursue a graduate degree in the U.S. – so this was the perfect opportunity.
[KU] What are your plans after graduation?
[Both] As we are both focused in real estate, we aim to get jobs in that industry. We plan to apply to local, Denver Metro Area jobs as well as opportunities back in Chile.