First-Generation College Student Furthers Her Dream Through Whitman MBA Program 

Born and raised in Brazil, Herika Moraes ’26 MBA, has always had a passion to learn. As the first in her family to complete a college degree, Moraes was driven from an early age. With an undergraduate degree in civil engineering, she has aspired to be successful and has worked hard to achieve it. Two years ago, she and her husband made the life-changing decision to move to the United States and turn their visions into a reality.

“I’ve always had a dream that I want to do something big with my life and have international experience,” Moraes says. Yet, the world of finance was nothing new to her, having 12 years of experience at Itaú Unibanco, Brazil’s largest bank, she had already developed her core financial and professional skills. After earning a financial management certificate in 2018, her ambitious personality drove her to deepen her knowledge and pursue her MBA.

After searching for various programs, Moraes found a match in Syracuse University's Whitman School of Management. “I found a family aspect in Whitman. It's not like other big programs where there is a competitive environment. I didn’t choose Whitman because I was already in Syracuse; I chose it because of the atmosphere it provided,” she says.

Coming from a low income family, Moraes has had to work for everything she has. She expresses her gratitude for Whitman being a space that has allowed her to prioritize her education for the first time. “All my life, I have always worked and studied at the same time. I have never had the opportunity to just study every day,” she adds. Through this pivotal shift in her day-to-day focus, Moraes has been able to improve and develop her organizational skills, leadership, and innovation.

Looking into her next steps after Whitman, Moraes wants to continue her expertise within finance. “I want to improve my career in the same field, but with another view here in the U.S.,”she says. After she graduates from the MBA program, she hopes to work for a bank in this country.

“I do eventually want to go back to Brazil, but I really want to gain more experience here, grow my innovation and leadership skills and just focus on my MBA,” she adds.

By Anna Momo