A Master’s course at BBS at the time of Covid: students tell their story.
16 March 2021With Lorella Martini’s story, a participant in the Hybrid MBA, we start a journey with our students to share with you how, with in-person and online lessons, they live a Master’s today at Bologna Business School.
My name is Lorella Martini, I’m 46 and, because of Covid, I had to take a break from work.
I worked in the logistics sector for 10 years, then a personal situation made me change direction and I had the chance to start working for a new company, very close to home, which has given me all the flexibility I needed at that time. I was then asked to be even more flexible when the pandemic exploded: as wife and caregiver of a person with a disability, I paused my job for a couple of years to give the priority to my husband and myself.
Being at home, I realized that multitasking has always been my cup of tea, and there could not be a better moment to start a master’s. I chose the Hybrid MBA at BBS because it enhances at best the potential of new technologies, and at the same time, it allows me to expand my skills, widening my view and extending my work potential. Moreover, the Master’s also gives me the chance to meet people and grow, personally and professionally, through this exchange.
In light of my situation, I couldn’t have considered an in-person solution and the opportunity to attend the Master’s entirely from home is the biggest gift for me: the fact that someone like me, as I can’t do otherwise, has an opportunity such as this is the proof that technology, if well managed, is a powerful tool of inclusion.
Now that three months have gone by since the beginning of the Master’s I cannot but confirm that this has been the right choice, the perfect one for me. I’d also like to stress that attending the lessons online rather than in person doesn’t hinder, in a substantial way, relationships and study activities, on the contrary: at BBS I found the best optimization of time and also of exchanges. The many group works allow for a constant, and perhaps also more focused and efficient, interaction with colleagues, lessons are on time, and not having to physically go somewhere to attend helps not wasting time and energies.
I’m learning a lot from this Master’s. I’m aware that in order to become an all-round manager I need to combine many different skills. Some of these skills are acquired through study, but also other abilities that I’ve acquired already during my career and that now I’m able to appreciate more, and consider them from a wider perspective.
This pathway wouldn’t be as rich and complete without the support that is given to people, in parallel to the studies. At BBS we’re supported by a Mentor, who leads us towards the role of manager underlining the importance of people with whom we work and enhancing our ability to be good listeners. After all, work and companies are made of individuals, with whom we establish important relationships, for the good and for the bad, just as it happens every day, with those people we interact with outside the workplace.
I hadn’t realized that the Mentoring was integrated in the Master’s and I’m satisfied about what it’s been giving me and about the skills and new perspectives it enables me to acquire. Working with valuable people, who are ready to deploy their best resources, can only give an exceptional result, in person just as remotely.
Lorella Martini
Participant in the Hybrid MBA 2020-21
