Vibrant and intellectually curious, Antonia Masias chose to pursue her undergraduate degree at UVA, focusing on History and complementing it with minors in Art History and Entrepreneurship. Little did the international student from Lima, Peru, know that, when she made that decision, this eclectic academic foundation would spur her to apply to McIntire’s M.S. in Commerce Program, broadening her horizons and creating pathways for her future in multiple possible areas in global business.
An Entrepreneurial Spark
Masias’s journey into the world of business came unexpectedly while she was pursuing McIntire’s Entrepreneurship Minor. She always knew that she wanted to be an entrepreneur at some point in her life but realized her limited knowledge of core business aspects when working on projects for the minor. That revelation was partly responsible for propelling her to apply to the M.S. in Commerce Program, driving her to fortify her understanding in vital business areas such as accounting and finance.
Her decision to attend the program is also the result of an important conversation about her future that she had with McIntire Professor Eric Martin, Director of the Entrepreneurship Minor.
“He would help me unwind all these questions, and at some point during one of one of our conversations, he mentioned the M.S. in Commerce,” she recalls, with Martin sharing that his son completed the program. Intrigued, Masias met with the admissions team to learn more. “Everyone was so helpful, and through these conversations, I figured that this is something that really applies to me: It’s a program for non-business backgrounds, it’s one year, it’s accelerated—very intense—but it’s exactly what I was looking for,” she says.
Cultivating Startup Connections
Antonia Masias has already masterfully balanced her academic aspirations with entrepreneurial endeavors. With a story that began quite serendipitously during a spring break trip to Cartagena, Colombia, Masias and her friends noted a recurring interest in a necklace they all wore. “We kept on receiving the same compliment by the same type of girl. They were asking, ‘Where can I get one?’” Masias recalls.
This demand inspired Masias and her friends—hailing from Peru, Brazil, and Panama—to transform the spring break purchase into a burgeoning jewelry venture, Club Mare. Their first step was leveraging connections across Latin America to find artisans and the helping hands of family and friends alike. Ultimately locating craftspeople in Brazil, the grassroots yet globally connected operation got off the ground.
Despite the geographical challenges and the pressures of academic and professional life, including Masias’s commitment to UVA’s McIntire School of Commerce and two of her partners starting their first jobs out of college, the group successfully launched their first collection. “We sold out in 24 hours, which was amazing. And we got such good feedback,” says Masias. Her entrepreneurial spirit and ability to navigate complex logistics across continents underscore the real-world readiness and innovative mindset fostered by the M.S. in Commerce Program.
Now, with a strong brand community already in place, Masias and her team are preparing for their next launch, continuing to prototype and market with a creative flair shaped by both education and experience.
Though Masias has always seen herself as someone with a creative background, drawn to building brands and storytelling (so much so that it’s led to a successful nascent jewelry startup she’s launched with friends [see sidebar for more]), she is equally fascinated by the analytical side of commerce. As such, she opted for the Business Analytics Track, seeing it as an opportunity to challenge herself: “I am a creative person, a storyteller. So right now, I am doing something that’s very data-centric. It’s numbers, but I’m happy I’m doing it.” This juxtaposition of creativity and analysis has become a defining feature of her approach to learning.
A Global Perspective with Diverse Classroom Dynamics
For an international student like Masias, the global nature of business is a naturally ingrained perspective. Her experiences living in different parts of the world have deeply informed her view on business. “Business is global. We live in such a connected world,” she explains, noting how classroom discussions on case studies often spur her to think about their applications in Latin America. This ability to tie global concepts to her local background enriches classroom discussions and provides her peers with valuable insights.
Not one to hold back, she says she’s known to play the devil’s advocate in class, challenging conventional business theories by applying them to scenarios in Peru, where unique challenges like corruption or logistical issues might alter outcomes. While she’s added a dynamic layer to discussions, fostering a learning environment where diverse global perspectives converge, she’s not the only one responsible for it.
The diversity in McIntire’s M.S. in Commerce Program is evident through the varied backgrounds of students like Masias and her peers, with Masias noting that classmates from the U.K. and China offer other important viewpoints to her classes. She appreciates the representation and engaging conversations that emerge from sharing among international and U.S. students: “We end up having this really interesting discussion that’s basically just thinking about all the ways this could work in different applications and different regions.”
Classroom Inspiration and Academic Support
McIntire coursework has profoundly impacted Masias. Strategy, taught by M.S. in Commerce Program Director and Professor Ira Harris, has changed her mindset and enriched her understanding of brand storytelling, as it has equipped her with practical tools she’ll carry throughout her career.
“We look at companies and brands that we all know, but it helps us understand why they’re successful and what strategy they used,” she explains. “That’s a class that’s going to be with me for my whole life, and it really changed the way I think. I can never see a matcha cup the same way. Now, I’m thinking about their competitors, their positioning…everything.”
Masias also credits Accounting Professor Andrea Roberts for her supportive and impactful teaching. “She’s one of the best teachers I’ve ever had. She broke down such a hard topic into something that made us believe that we could do it and made it really approachable,” she says. “Professor Roberts is also very open and available to her students. She knows your name from day one and cares that you learn.”
Another faculty member she admires for her empathetic approach and for going the extra mile to ensure that difficult moments don’t weigh too heavily on students is Finance Professor Gretchen Gamrat. “We had an exam on corporate finance, and everyone was super nervous. After the test, she sent us an email that was just so validating,” Masias shares. “She said that she could sense the anxiety in the room and reminded us that a grade doesn’t define who we are.”
Future Ambitions and Career Aspirations
Masias envisions two possible career paths post-graduation. She is drawn to entrepreneurship, a reflection of her family’s legacy in Peru, aspiring to follow the philosophy of creating jobs rather than taking them. Concurrently, she’s eager to gain experience in a corporate setting in the U.S., where she plans to refine her skills in brand or creative consulting. With McIntire’s M.S. in Commerce being a STEM-designated program, she is afforded a three-year period in the U.S. post-graduation, a considerable benefit for international students like her.
“If I want a corporate job, I’m thinking either brand consulting or creative consulting,” she says. “A few months ago, I didn’t even know that position existed. I’m also really interested in corporate communications and working in PR or crisis communication, which I’m very fascinated by. As a Gen Zer, I’ve grown up in a time where I judge brands based on what they do and how they respond when they’re in trouble. We live in a time where companies are so powerful. Some might even say like more than government, in some cases. So that accountability is really important. And I’d like to be in those conversations.”
To those contemplating McIntire’s M.S. in Commerce, Masias advises embracing the risk and overcoming imposter syndrome. “The sooner you stop standing in between yourself and what you want, the more you can achieve,” she insists. The program has taught her the importance of looking toward the future and learning from challenges—messages she believes resonate universally.
