From the moment Martin Lauw came to Urbana-Champaign from Asunción, Paraguay, he has been making sure that he and his classmates make the most of their experience at the University of Illinois. During the first week of the Preparatory English Program, he spread his passion for fútbol (i.e. soccer) by overseeing and refereeing a friendly match between his international classmates.

Now he’s into his second semester at the Illinois MBA and has assumed the leadership position of the VP of Programs for the MBA Association, which requires him to coordinate the activities of the various student clubs of the Illinois MBA. Furthermore, Martin has worked on a consulting project for Illinois Business Consulting and is now working in a project for the Kauffman Foundation, the 26th largest foundation in the United States, which provides grants and other support for entrepreneurial ventures and educational opportunities nationwide.

Before coming to the Illinois MBA, Martin worked as a brand assistant for Unilever in Paraguay. Specifically, Martin designed advertising campaigns for Unilever’s laundry detergent line by leading consumer and market research and coordinating marketing plans through local and regional offices. In line with his experience with laundry detergent, Martin has been offered an internship with Whirlpool this summer where he will be working with their brand manager to develop and execute Whirlpool’s marketing plan through product strategy, brand messages, point of purchase materials, and the Internet.

Martin’s favorite moment at the University of Illinois occurred during the Graduate Marketing Association’s annual Ad Bowl. MBA students got together in a local sports bar and watched the Super Bowl, as well as the infamous commercials: “Watching the Super Bowl was a new cultural experience for me. It was exciting to watch the game and the commercials with so many enthusiastic fans.”

Martin’s favorite part of the Illinois MBA, though, is because of the diverse group of classmates with which he has formed friendships. “Besides the great moments we share together outside of class, the diversity of the students enhances what we learn in the classroom,” said Martin. Without a doubt, Martin will continue to have rich life experiences as he continues his career in brand management and product development for a global company.