Isabella Martinez

Isabella Martinez is a third-year student of International Business (IB) who, according to the letter of recommendation, which was jointly signed by her research supervisor, thesis supervisor, and the IB programme management, demonstrates ‘academic excellence, intellectual maturity, and exceptional commitment’ in her studies. Isabella has an average mark of 9.17 for her IB course units (the highest average mark of all the current 353 students), and there is no doubt that she is heading for ‘summa cum laude’. Her thesis about the ways in which inclusive organizations handle neurodiversity (inclusion for staff members with ADHD, autism, or dyslexia, for example) was given a mark of 9.0. The letter of recommendation also stressed Isabella’s pleasant demeanour and ability to inspire her fellow-students during group assignments. Alongside her degree programme, Isabella followed the Honours College and was involved in a longitudinal research project examining the competitive development, motivation, and wellbeing of students. Working on this project, she was responsible for data collection, analysis, and academic reporting, tasks she carried out with great precision and accuracy. Her critical reflections led to various new insights. She also acted as student mentor for two years, and was involved in various course units as a teaching assistant. Students valued her as a mentor and teacher, and she was able to strike the right tone in difficult situations. With regard to this latter point, the authors of the recommendation letters refer to Isabella’s interest in psychology and the dynamics of human interaction, and her antennae for what is going on in a group, enabling her to make good decisions and ensure that students can carry out assignments successfully. Isabella is currently on an exchange visit to Monash University in Melbourne (Australia), to gain experience in Corporate Finance, Equity Markets, Contemporary Mental Health Needs, and ‘Understanding Crime’.

In her excellent pitch, Isabella showed the jury that it is always important to consider the people behind the statistics, and that intrinsic motivation is often more important than money. With regard to teaching, she stressed the importance of making all students feel included and important in their own way.