Spears School of Business

 

The Spears School of Business and the Center for Advanced Global Leadership and Engagement are happy to announce the February 2021 Graduate Global Student of the Month is Fernando D'Andrea.

 

A Ph.D. student in Entrepreneurship, D'Andrea hails from the country of Brazil. Born in the south part of the large country, he was raised Catholic, believing in individuals' power to be heroes of the world, no matter how small.

 

With a population of over 220 million people, Brazil is a country of "easy-going" people and is one of the most culturally diverse nations globally. Brazil prides itself on its creativity, polite people, and general warming nature.

 

"We are a nation of warm people, party lovers, and our food and the overall culture are great," D'Andrea said. "We are a lot more than samba and soccer."

 

In his free time, D'Andrea likes reading books, watching and participating in sports, and eating meat.

 

"I love hosting barbeque parties when I am home," he said. "I love to have good times with friends, and fortunately, I have many friends back home and, thanks to God, even around the world."

 

 

Some may wonder why, with a happy life back in Brazil, why would D'Andrea up and move his entire life to North America? The answer to that is simple; he wants to make a change in the world.

 

"Being from an emerging market country with a mixed economy, I was always interested in further understanding how individuals could create wealth and improve the standard of living of so many others," D'Andrea said. "Entrepreneurship is the answer to this."

 

After leaving the Amazon region, D'Andrea became an industrial engineer before moving to Italy. It was there he began his career and received his master's in management engineering. Following his time in Europe, D'Andrea moved back to South America, where he met his wife and got married. He has spent a majority of the past 10 years consulting for businesses from around the globe.

 

In early 2020, he and his wife moved to the United States to pursue his Ph.D. After looking around the globe at different Ph.D. programs, talking to several professors and former students, D'Andrea decided to apply to Oklahoma State.

 

"I had visited a few times before, to study and work, but this is my first time living here," D'Andrea said.

 

 

Attracted by the overall diversity of Spears Business, D'Andrea says he knew OSU was the place for him, claiming between the professors and "the power of personal," it just felt right.

 

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, 2020 did not go according to plan. Like many students, the virus upended D'Andrea's first year in Stillwater. Fortunately, he was able to make the best of it, he said.

 

"In this year, I have focused on helping others," D'Andrea said. "I have been trying to help new students and prospective students that plan to come here. I tell them about the things that they should be doing and what to expect during these times."

 

Even with his efforts, like others, he wishes he could do more.

 

"Overall, I am not fully satisfied with my participation in the community," he said. "However, I plan to make things much better as soon as the usual activities return."

 

In his first year at Oklahoma State, D'Andrea is attempting to do as much as he can to leave a mark on the community and says he only expects to do more as he continues his journey.