Lauren Holmes

Lauren Holmes, United Kingdom
Full-Time MBA Class of 2021
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Academic Roles, Achievements and Activities

I have recently taken on a new academic role, having been awarded the Collaborative Spirit Ambassador Scholarship for ESADE’s MBA Class of 2021. I am excited to share my enthusiasm and ideas with the batch!

One thing that I am really proud of is completing my teacher training. The demand on teachers in the UK continues to increase, and my training year was certainly a challenge; I learnt a lot about communication, resilience, and personal well-being.

What do I like to do in my spare time? In my undergraduate degree, I became involved in two dance associations (samba and reggaeton) which brought so much joy to my life, and were a wonderful distraction from my studies! I then went on to become a Zumba instructor, which was a core part of my life in London for the past 2 and a half years. 

What is invisible but essential about YOU? or ESADE? or Barcelona?

My invisible but essential fact is that I come from a teaching background. At first, for me, applying to the MBA seemed almost impossible and slightly ridiculous. I studied Spanish and Geography at undergraduate level, then qualified as a secondary school teacher in the UK, and ended up working as a Programme Manager at a small education charity in London. However, the more I spoke to people, and the further I pushed with my application to ESADE, I quickly realised that we would be a good match.

Not only would I receive support and advice from the faculty and my fellow students, but I also have a lot to offer! I am an extremely enthusiastic person, with plenty of experience in teaching, and also in presenting in front of groups of people. I am really excited to be able to share this with my incoming class and anyone else that I may come across during my MBA! Whilst my background may be lacking in business-knowledge or accounting skills, I have developed strong empathy skills and a deep understanding of working with different sorts of people. I love the diversity of the ESADE student community, and have been blown away by my first 2 weeks in Barcelona.

My other invisible but essential fact is that I speak Spanish. I have no Spanish heritage, but I took a real shine to the language at school, and pursued it through university and into the classroom as a teacher. I am looking forward to combining my language skills with my ESADE experience in Barcelona and making the most of my time here. I hope to continue the development of my Spanish skills so that I can have the option to work in Spanish-speaking environments after my MBA.

The energy of ESADE, whilst not invisible, cannot be truly understood until you arrive in Barcelona. From my application process, I already knew that the people I would meet would be enthusiastic, supportive, and interesting. However, since arriving in Barcelona to begin my ESADE journey, I have been completely overwhelmed by the welcome that I have received. The MBA class of 2021 had a welcome dinner in mid-August, for all of those who were already in the city. I stopped myself a few times throughout the meal to take in the atmosphere; a room full of people from all over the world, a range of professional and personal backgrounds, and none of whom knew each other! It was vibrant and exciting, and it felt very special.

I hope that my invisible but essential skills will match well with the fantastic community created by ESADE. I am sure this is the beginning of a fascinating and fulfilling adventure!