Who is Carolina Mora?

My high school friends call me Maria, but everybody else calls me Caro, which is shorter for Carolina. So, you can easily guess that my complete name is Maria Carolina. A long name, so I prefer if you call me Caro or Carolina or even Carito (the costarican way of saying my name).

You probably know many Carolinas around the world, since it is one of the most common names you can find. I discovered that it is famous in Poland and other non-English or Spanish speaking countries. In Costa Rica, it is the most common name, however Maria is even more common. So, what makes me different from the rest of the Carolinas and Marias of the world?

I was born and raised in Costa Rica, and since I was little I have a passion for travelling. As a 5 year-old girl, my parents took me to Guatemala. I don’t remember much from the trip, but ever since, I’ve been to different parts of the world. From South America, to North America, to Africa and most recently Europe. My next stop would be Asia and Australia.

The best part of travelling is meeting amazing people from different cultures and in most of the cases different languages. I am told that I am a people person, and that I get along with different personalities. This is probably the reason why I enjoy travelling so much.

My first job didn’t involve traveling abroad, but did involve traveling within the country and meeting students from different parts of the United States. It was the perfect job, I was meeting new people, traveling, learning and because I was the Coordinator for the Volunteer Program I was helping organizations developed by placing skilled students in their operations.

After 2 years of working for the same company, I discovered I could do more for society, so, I got involved as a volunteer in the biggest student run organization in the world. While in AIESEC, I was not only working towards leadership development in youth, but I was also defining what I wanted to do in life. I realized I like helping others.

As a business major, “helping others” could be translated into helping businesses and organizations develop. However, to accomplish my goal, I was lacking the necessary skills and knowledge, so I decided to start a MBA at INCAE Business School.

I would consider INCAE to be the best experience in my life. For two years, I was living on campus, as a full-time student, with people from different parts of the world. I was sharing classes, groups activities, fun times with one hundred other students, who decided to leave their families and jobs to come to Costa Rica to take classes again.

During INCAE, I couldn’t leave my mission behind. I decided to get involved in students’ organizations, and ended up running as President of the Sustainability Club. Why sustainability? Because it contributes towards the Sustainable Development Goals by creating a balance in the economic, environmental and social part of businesses. Exactly what I wanted to do before starting INCAE.  

As you can see, I am a person who constantly look for opportunities. I would consider myself as self-driven, who likes to be challenged and curious about learning new things. I am also visionary, so I would like, in a close future, to own a successful business and to be a well know recognized entrepreneur who could be an example for younger women who wants to follow a career path.

María Carolina Mora

"Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success”

Napoleon Hill