Cubillas said Thunderbird taught her how to navigate different cultures and an ever-connected world. She looks forward to working for an international company, eventually moving back to Mexico or other Latin American countries to put into practice what she has learned.
After 20 years living in the Nyarugusu Refugee Camp in Tanzania, Alenga Alokola and his family relocated to the U.S. in pursuit of a better life. In 2020, Alokola completed his bachelor’s degree in global management from ASU’s West campus, and this May, Alokola will graduate with a Master in Global Management with a concentration in global affairs from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Victor Oleynik has always been passionate about international business and politics, which led him to study at Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University. Originally from Ukraine but having spent most of his life in Moscow, Oleynik knew that he needed to broaden his perspective and build cross-border connections through a degree program that would equip him with a global mindset.
Originally from Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, Melissa Ballesteros has lived in more than five countries and worked with teams in more than 12. Her interest in global affairs, strategy, business and leadership drew her to enroll at Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University.
Tallin Speek will graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering systems with honors from Barrett, The Honors College. He is pursuing a Master of Global Management (MGM) from the Thunderbird School of Global Management through the 4 +1 program.
The event rounded out with a dinner reception at the Thunderbird School of Global Management’s new Global Headquarters on ASU’s Downtown Phoenix campus. Sanjeev Khagram, director general and dean of Thunderbird, discussed Thunderbird’s Initiative for Space Leadership, Policy and Business and its work to bring space sector leaders together to address global challenges and drive collaboration in commercial space and beyond.
Joseph Kemp received the Undergraduate Barton Kyle Yount Award. This award is presented to a student who best represents the values and standards envisioned by the founders of Thunderbird in 1946 and is the school’s highest student honor.
Although Grecia Cubillas was born in Tucson, Arizona, she was raised in Santa Ana, a small town in Sonora, Mexico, and spent her formative years outside of the United States.
Equipped with international travel experience as a young adult, Matthew Pepper knew early on that a global career was in the cards for him. Raised in the Houston suburb of Spring, Texas, Pepper had the opportunity to travel with his family around the world.
“I read somewhere, ‘Do all the good you can, for all the people you can, in all ways you can, as long as ever you can." These words of principle motivated Frank Martinez throughout his time at Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University, from which he graduates this spring with a Master of Global Management (MGM).