Alumna: Laura Hernandez

You were part of the first cohort of MUI graduates. What attracted you to this new program?

The reason why I joined this program was the great interdisciplinary approach. Before joining the program, I saw my course load, and it was just so amazing to see how I can learn from different perspectives, from different professors.

What was your favourite MUI course and why?

Well, that's a very difficult question because both years have amazing MUI courses! I will say that my favourite courses were ones focused on economic development and urban politics. It's really hard to choose one, because they're all so different and amazing! But I will say for both of my years, those were my favourite ones.

You interned with the City of Mississauga Economic Development Office, as part of the program. Can you tell us about your internship and what you enjoyed most about it?

I joined the City of Mississauga's Economic Development office in Summer 2020. I was a researcher there, so I had the great opportunity to lead my own research project. The city wanted to know what they could do better to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, and how they can help businesses to recover. It was a great experience to engage with businesses in Mississauga and also to learn way more about what the office is doing. It really helped me to know that my next step in my career will be focusing on economic development as well.

You’ve started a new role at Toronto Global post-graduation, can you tell us more about this?

A month ago, I joined Toronto Global, which is an investment and attraction agency here in Toronto. I joined the organisation as a business insights analyst, so I have the opportunity to engage with economic development officers across Ontario. I'm participating in this great program called Score, which is trying to identify gaps and opportunities in the supply chain of three main industries: food and beverage, life sciences, and advanced manufacturing. It's been a great opportunity, and they really have recognized my MUI knowledge, so it's been great so far.

What advice do you have for potential MUI students thinking about joining the program, especially those coming from an international background?

My advice for future MUI students, especially those who are coming from outside of Canada, is don't be afraid to bring your own personal and unique experiences. That was something that really differentiated me from my fellow MUI classmates. It's an opportunity for you to learn from other people, but also to bring your own experience and make the conversation and discussions during class way better. You can foster so much growth from that. So don't be afraid to do that. You will bring so many things that maybe people are not aware of, and you will learn so much from others.