Former Walton International Scholarship recipient Laura Calderon returned to the University of the Ozarks campus earlier this month for the first time since she graduated in 2015 and she had an important message to current Walton Scholars at Ozarks.
Calderon lives in her hometown of Guatemala City where she is a junior buyer for Cemaco, the largest retail company in Guatemala. Her message to current Walton Scholars was to take advantage of their opportunity of a college education at Ozarks and then, following graduation, return to their respective countries to make a difference.
“I enjoyed visiting with the current Walton Scholars and seeing myself in them 10 years ago,” Calderon said. “I just tried to convey to them how important this opportunity is for them and how it can open so many doors. For a lot of them, they are the first in their families to go to college, so I just tried to inspire them to work hard and to be a part of breaking the cycle of a lack of education in their families. The education they are receiving is planting a seed that will one day blossom for them, their families and their countries.”
Calderon told the students that making a difference back home can be as simple as being the best professional they can be in their chosen profession.
“People sometimes think you have to do all these big things or donate a lot of money to make an impact, but it can really be as simple as focusing on your career and being professional and ethical in your field,” Calderon said. “You can inspire people by being a professional, having high standards and being a contributing citizen in the workplace. I see what other Walton Scholars are doing from my class and they are all making an impact in their countries by just being good at their jobs and doing things the right ways. That’s how generational change happens, a little at a time over a period of time. It happens when you’re not even trying.”
Calderon said she told the Walton Scholars to focus on what they came to Ozarks to do.
“Find out what you’re passionate about and then learn as much as you can in those areas,” Calderon said. “I told them being able to get an education in the United States will set them apart back home because they will have a different point of view on so many things. That’s a valuable trait and it will allow them to stand out above everyone else.”
Calderon, who got married in June of 2022 to Carlos Barillas, has quickly climbed the corporate ladder at Cemaco, starting as a category analyst six years ago and moving to a purchase analyst and then junior buyer. As a chemistry and management major at Ozarks, she said her unique academic background has bode her well in her career.
“Chemistry really challenged me in college, but the critical thinking and analytical skills that I learned from those classes have benefited me greatly,” she said. “I’ve been told that one of my strengths is that I have a good balance of analytical, communication and management skills, and I owe all of those to my professors and to the education I received at Ozarks.”
Calderon also praised Ozarks’ diverse student body in helping prepare her for a workplace made up of various personalities and cultures.
“Ozarks really taught me tolerance and understanding of different people,” she said. “There were so many people at Ozarks from different parts of the world and being able to be in that melting pot has helped me so much. I never would have thought back then how impactful that would be.”
Topics: Alumni, Alumni Stories, Chemistry, Management