Yuliandra Henriquez '19

An education, Yuliandra Henriquez ’19 explains, is more than the sum of its parts. “I’ve been able to use everything that I’ve learned,” she says, “and make it into something new – and better.”

“I'm an HR management major, but I'm also learning other subjects like accounting, finance, and marketing, which is great because I'm still going to need those aspects to succeed in my HR management career,” Henriquez notes. 

Sometimes the connections between her courses and her future were immediately apparent, like with her Global Human Resources management course with Professor Diya Das, Ph.D., in which she learned about international labor law and logistics.  “Professor Das makes you go above and beyond,” says Henriquez. “Just when you think that you know everything, she hits you with even more information or a new perspective.”

Other connections were more unexpected, such as the Fieldwork in Local Communities elective she took with Professor Alex Perullo, Ph.D. “The class was amazing,” she says. “I learned so much about research, communities, and culture. It also teaches you how to observe, which is something you don’t always realize is as important as it is.”

Her multinational business simulation course, during which she ran a simulated shoe company, and International Business Practicum, in which she worked as a consultant with a real company on a real project, helped her figure out how to bring it all together. “You’re using all the skills and all the knowledge that you learned from your previous classes,” she says.

Henriquez’s education extended beyond the classroom as well. Mentors such as Intercultural Center Coordinator Kevin Martins and Coordinator of the Hochberg Women’s Center Kelly Boutin “helped me discover who I am by pushing me to go beyond my limits and do things that I didn't think I would be able to do,” she says.

The summer of her junior year, Henriquez interned with Travelers Insurance’s Human Resources Leadership Development Program. Impressed with her work, the company offered her a position in its two-year rotational program that develops high-potential employees into future Human Resources leaders, which she accepted. “They saw that I was well-rounded, and had a wider range of skills than some of the other interns,” says Henriquez. “They also saw that I was determined and that it’s important to me that I keep learning and doing the best job I can.”

Real World Experience