STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

Bianca Garibay '20 (MM)

Major: Applied Mathematics and Masters of Management

Hometown: Merced, Calif.

Employer: A.P. Moller-Maersk

A graduate of the Gallo Management Program, Bianca Garibay, was a math whiz going back to her days at Buhach Colony High School. Most people figured the Merced native would become a math teacher. Garibay had other ideas; bio-engineering was enticing, and there was a university in her hometown that could deliver the academic goods. Garibay liked staying close to family while getting the advantages of a UC education. She appreciated UC Merced’s fresh, new look and its small enrollment. What she realized she didn’t like, after some time at the university, was bio-engineering. “Designing circuits was not for me,” she said. She kept her undergraduate major, applied mathematics. Then she was recommended for the Master of Management program, which she saw as an opportunity to develop hands-on skills and make professional connections. She graduated in August 2020. “It was the best program I’ve ever been in,” said Garibay, who now works in Lakewood as an operations support associate for A.P. Moller-Maersk, an international shipping and logistics company. Garibay said the program helped her learn how to sharpen her ideas and present them effectively. Weekly presentations nudged her out of her comfort zone while she received feedback from classmates and instructors. “On Fridays we would focus on professional development,” she said. “I learned how to make pitches about a project or idea – here’s what it is, here’s how to use it.” Garibay said she’s eager to apply innovative ideas from her Master of Management education to A.P. Moller-Maersk’s customary workflows. She also knows she can turn to the Gallo Management Program for support.