SIMONA S. Malta,

MBA, California State University, Long Beach (CSULB)

Born in Libya to Czech and Slovak parents, and raised in Malta, Simona is the epitome of a global citizen – and her career reflects that.

Simona began her career as a marketing executive for a local importer and distributor for Porsche, Audi, and VW; part of her job was to organize “super cool product launches.” Later, she put her cross-culture and language skills to use for a Czech start-up looking to expand in Malta, setting up their Maltese operations in just three months!

But she soon realized she needed an MBA to take her career to the next level, and she decided that she really wanted to do an MBA program in the U.S. “I was intrigued by the slightly different educational system and way of life,” she recalls, “and I fell in love with California and the American dream.”

She was elated to have the opportunity to live her dream in California when she was accepted by CSULB. But while she was initially able to finance her degree with her hard-earned savings, Simona soon found that she had a funding shortfall.

As a result, Simona faced the daunting task of securing a student loan. She soon realized that she would have to “get on board with the credit thing” if she wanted to stay in the U.S. and finish her degree. “It was a new concept to me,” she said. “Education loans aren’t common in Malta, and I’d never applied for a loan before.”

She was surprised to find that lenders in the U.S. required a co-signer. She was reluctant to involve her parents and was therefore relieved when her research led her to MPOWER.

“I was very happy with MPOWER’s level of service, their ability to answer my questions, and their transparency, and I was all set to proceed. But, as life would have it, CSULB wasn’t on their list of partner schools. Rather than giving up, though, I saw this as a challenge. I initiated talks between my school’s financial aid office and MPOWER, and lo and behold, here we are today! CSULB is now an MPOWER partner school—proof that persistence pays off.”

After completing her MBA, she hopes to work at the intersection of marketing, management, and business development in the healthcare field, possibly in a role that incorporates corporate social responsibility. “I come from a family of medical practitioners,” she said, “and I find the business, operational, regulatory, and research and development aspects of the industry really fascinating.”

Her advice to other international students is that “Limits are of our own construct, and obstacles are only such if you look at them that way. They are challenges to be overcome and they enable us to grow, so soldier on, because the world is limitless. In the end it’s always worth it and you can make it anywhere if you believe in yourself!”