Camila Bernal Sierra
For Camila Bernal Sierra, living in San Diego hasn’t been that much of a culture shock. She believes growing up in South America made her more familiar with American culture. Camila is currently enrolled at the ALI at SDSU and plans to some day run her own company. For now, she is happy to be living in San Diego and meeting other students from around the world.
Where are you from?
Medellin, Colombia
How long have you been at SDSU?
I came to the ALI around April, and I spent five months in Boston – 2009 – before I came here.
Why did you choose SDSU?
I found it online and I like the location and the pre-MBA program.
Where is your favorite place to eat?
Most of the time I cook, but I do like Sushi.
What is your favorite thing about San Diego?
I can’t name one thing, I like everything here. I swim, bike, go to the beach and gym. Los Angeles is so close too. Whatever you want, formal outings or relaxed atmosphere, you find it – there is not enough time to do everything.
Where do you live?
I live in an apartment with three other students near campus. My roommates right now are from Germany, Denmark, and Taiwan. We hang out together. My old roommate from Tunisia actually came back to visit and is staying with me for three days. You can form good friendships with your roommates.
What is in your future?
I want to earn my MBA. Right now I’m studying for the GMAT. I will apply to SDSU and other schools. My focus I hope will be a mix of marketing and entrepreneurship. I would like to work in a large company for a few years, then work with my family then eventually own my own company.
What do you think about American culture and your San Diego experience?
I believe the biggest surprise was that there isn’t Spanish speaking on campus at the ALI. I wasn’t sure I wanted to come to San Diego because it was so close to Mexico. I figured that many places, I went people would speak Spanish, and I wanted to learn English. People do speak Spanish outside of the campus but it’s up to you. Most merchants know both but they let you choose whether you want to use Spanish or English.
