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Diana Flores, a full-time MBA student at SMU Cox and the former outside center for the first female rugby team of the Catholic University of Peru, never imagined she would set a precedent at the Cox School of Business. But that's exactly what she did by becoming the first female Hispanic president of the Student Advisory Board (SAB).
The SAB consists of elected full-time MBA students that serve as the student government at Cox, linking faculty and students. President of the SAB is the highest and most visible position a graduate student can attain at the Cox School.
Flores said the key to her success has been taking advantage of the opportunities presented to her as a minority pursing an MBA. These opportunities range from scholarships for minorities to a number of resources available through Cox's Office of Diversity, including diversified curriculum and faculty that enable students to succeed in an environment that's more in tune with their specific needs.
She also brings to the table her passion for operations and logistics, which she cultivated in her previous career as senior resource planner at Dal-Tile. In that position, Flores saw firsthand how people and logistics were extremely important in a company's operation.
"I have always felt a passion for understanding processes and making them more efficient, all while working with people. Logistics, therefore, is the perfect job with a combination of processes and people," said Flores.
Born and raised in Lima, Peru, Flores said she never understood the significance of race until she came to the United States. "If you're born in Peru, you are considered Peruvian even if your parents are pure Japanese," said Flores. "You are not Japanese-Peruvian."
Flores' family moved from Lima to Dallas because of political and economic turmoil in Peru when she was 20 years old. She grew up with two brothers in a household that placed great importance on education. Yet their economic situation could not offer all the opportunities her parents wished for them. "It was what we called surviving more than living," reflected Flores.
"Growing up in Peru, we were extremely active. Our parents didn't believe in free time, so we were always doing something like basketball, soccer, swimming, theater, piano, or studying English. Because of this we learned to be very flexible and disciplined," said Flores.
Flores chose to attend Cox because of its curriculum, Global Leadership Program, Business Leadership Center, and reputation as one of the top 25 most Hispanic-friendly MBA programs. The Cox Office of Diversity reaches out to its Hispanic students through diversified curriculum, which includes a Hispanic marketing course, as well as memberships and programs held in conjunction with the National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) and the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA).
"SMU has put a lot of emphasis and effort on diversity. So I expected my MBA class and the Student Advisory Board (SAB) group to be diverse, which they very much are," said Flores. "It is the perfect testing ground to later work in a globalized business world."
The SAB's most important project this year involves the NSHMBA/NBMBA (National Hispanic and Black MBA Associations) career fair reimbursement program, which motivates and supports minority MBA students in their job search through financial reimbursement and career preparation.
"Cox routinely works with NSHMBA and NBMBA to find new ways to aid our minority MBA students," commented Cox Director of Diversity Steve Denson.
The NSHMBA/NBMBA conferences rank among the top two in the nation for minority MBA students because they work in conjunction with many Fortune 500 companies and provide valuable seminars for MBA students.
"Professionally, it is all about selling the SMU Cox brand and getting jobs, which are two of the goals of getting a MBA degree," said Flores. "Personally, I love being in a position where I can help give back for all the blessings and opportunities I have received."
In addition to serving as SAB president, Flores is vice president of the Business Plan Competition in Cox's Strategy and Entrepreneurship Club, an officer of the International Club, and a member of the High Tech & Operations Club and Fellowship Club. She hopes to get a job in Operations and Strategy upon graduation in May.
To learn more about Cox's students and diversity outreach efforts please visit the Cox Web site: www.cox.smu.edu.
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