Mireia Gorrotxategi, received in 2014-2015 the award extraordinary end of degree program from ISSA School of Management Assistants. She is currently studying the Master's Degree in Political and Corporate Communication at the University of Navarra. Mireia chose the Degree in attendance in Management because of the range of professional possibilities it offered her: "Studying at ISSA gives a foundation in many subjects that now at Master's Degree I am very grateful for". During her four years at Degree, Mireia was part of the Alumni Scholarships Program.

What has being an Alumni Fellow meant to you?

Besides being proud to have been selected, it has given me the opportunity to study at a prestigious university such as the University of Navarra. In my case, recognition has translated into motivation, and motivation into perseverance. Trusting yourself is almost as important as having someone who trusts you. And without any doubt, the scholarship Alumni has helped me to believe in my abilities and skills.

What would you recommend to a first-year student to get the most out of programs of study?

I would sum it up as "willingness to learn". Taking advantage of the four years of degree program for me means taking a leap from the status you have in high school diploma. Feeling professional from the first day. For me, degree program is a very short period of time in which you forge the skills that the labor market will demand from you and if you do not develop them during the four years you will have wasted your time.

I would also tell them that it is a time to take advantage of networking. Don't see your colleagues only as colleagues from class but to strengthen professional ties. You don't know if tomorrow they will be your clients, colleagues, the skill or your bosses.

What do you value most from what you have learned at ISSA?

Everything related to the business, the functions, the Departments... All that knowledge is now useful for me to apply it to communication. If you don't know first the business, it is difficult to apply strategies or solutions to problems in something you don't know.

I am also valuing very much having studied languages. All the readings on Master's Degree are in English, in fact much of the documentation on communication is in that language, to read only what is in Spanish would be to stay on the surface.

What competencies did you develop at ISSA that you are valuing now?

At ISSA I developed a great capacity for synthesis that is now very useful to reduce documents from 30 pages to one or to explain in a few words a whole project. Speaking in public, making presentations..., a good idea is important, but, if you tell it well, it improves the result.

When did you decide to specialize in Communication and Politics?

I discovered politics in the second year of degree program, thanks to the subject of partnership Executive Techniques. One of the weekly internships required me to follow the news in the press and it was when I did the follow-up that I realized how much I liked it. The interest in communication came while I was doing the curricular internship at department of Internal Communications of Cuatrecasas. At ISSA we had studied communication from an individual point of view: speaking well, writing well... In the internship it was more strategic communication and I started to get interested. After consulting with professors and friends I opted for a Master's Degree that brought together these two interests and I am enjoying it very much.

Why did you study ISSA?

Basically because of the variety of subjects. In ISSA they prepare you in languages, in Economics, in law, computer science, accounting... It is important to know a little bit of everything. Accounting for example is now helping me to understand the metrics, languages to read the documentation and follow some classes, Economics to understand when we talk about IPOs, stock exchange... ISSA has given me a very good theoretical base internship.

How do you remember your time at ISSA?

I experienced my time at ISSA in two phases. The first two courses I did not understand the attendance of Management, I did not see the link between what I was studying and what would later become the professional work . However, from the third year onwards everything changed. I began to see the sense. That's why I encourage all students to have patience, not to throw in the towel because there comes a time when the subjects that contribute professionally come, but first you have to create the base.

What are your plans for the future?

I would like to try the field of politics, but not before evaluating the consequences that this could have on my professional degree program in the future. It is a shame that because you work for a particular party you are associated with a particular ideology, ideally the parties would hire communication for the professional skills you can offer and not so much for your identification with their ideology.

After this, I am opting for the world of business in the field of corporate communication, mergers, new product launches... Although I don't rule out the possibility of applying for the European Parliament. When I was in Brussels I really liked the workings of the political institutions because there you do give both corporate topic as the Lobbies, the political topic ...