Living globally, Leading internationally

Rita Kerbaj ’14, Business Development Manager

Major: Politics major, Spanish minor

Internships: Latin American Program, Wilson Center; Curran & Berger, LLP

Awards: Almara Grant: funded interviews and archival work in Lebanon for research on post-war memory and enforced disappearances.

Employer: Kaymu

My involvement in the Spanish/Latin American Studies community, while completing my minor in Spanish at Mount Holyoke was pivotal in shaping my interests and career choices.

Studying Spanish gave me access to an entire continent, fueling my interest in Latin American culture and emerging markets at large. While at MHC, I was fortunate enough to intern with the Latin American Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center and Curren & Burger, an Immigration Law firm which really valued my language skills.

I studied abroad in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which soon became my favorite city in the world. There, I interned with the City Senator and developed my interests in politics and development.

All these experiences coupled with the tight relationships I was able to foster with both Spanish professors and fellow major and minors enabled me to pursue my passions and confidently explore the world.

Today, I live in Lagos, Nigeria, where I am working as a Business Development Manager at Kaymu, the leading e-commerce site in emerging countries. While I miss speaking Spanish every day, I am certain that the confidence I have to live in Africa's biggest and busiest city and lead a team at a booming startup, is greatly a result of the growth and opportunities that the Spanish Department afforded me.