Laura Garcia

BA Intercultural Relations and Behavior | 2014

Nationality: Honduran

Graduate School: MSc International Marketing, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands

Current Position: Expertise Lead Agile Coach, ING (ING-DiBa), Frankfurt, Germany

Position at time of interview: Retail Banking Trainee, ING (ING-DiBa), Amsterdam, the Netherlands

I am currently a Retail Banking Trainee for ING Bank working for the Digital Channels department as the business manager to the Head of Digital Channels.

My position has a lot to do with managing the roadmap for Digital Channels, including the prioritization of initiatives that we plan to deliver to our clients. I am also responsible for tracking the impact of our initiatives across the bank through the implementation of a dashboard, and collaboration with the management team to develop the communication strategy.

What did Jacobs do for you that you were not expecting?

Jacobs University changed my perspective of life. It is a unique place where people from all over the world meet – it's not just advertisement, it's truly lived – and not only do we learn from other cultures, but most importantly, we learn to value our own.

“I enrolled to university, but really, I got so much more than just a degree – I discovered myself and got to do it alongside brilliant and wonderful people.“
Laura Garcia

What do you think about the study program you were in at Jacobs?

My favorite thing about the Jacobs study program was the multi-disciplinary approach. It made me challenge myself and learn about something very different to what I was normally supposed to learn with my curriculum. It broadened my horizons and made think differently.

My studies were very student-focused with such small classes that it felt personalized! The courses were really interesting and most importantly, the professors were sharing knowledge from current trends, not things from centuries ago.

Disclaimer
As Jacobs has adopted changes in curricula over the years, some of the study programs the alumni have been in might no longer be offered. However, the elements of interdisciplinarity, woven in with diverse perspectives to foster a holistic education, is and will always be the principle that governs all of the study programs Jacobs offers. Alumni featured on this website may have studied different subjects, but their appreciation for Jacobs, their journey at Jacobs, and their journey beyond Jacobs stays the same.