Maria Mihalić
Can you tell us something about yourself?
I come from Moslavina, but I live in Zagreb. I decided to study in Rijeka because of the program in English. I have to admit I’m glad I did, because during those five years of studying I had many great experiences and gained a lot of knowledge. I finished both the undergraduate and graduate studies of International Business in English. In my second year of undergraduate studies I was a student demonstrator for the "Management” course, and in my second year of graduate studies, demonstrator for the course "Quantitative methods for business decision making”. I graduated in the fall of 2018 and I am currently employed as an associate for an EU project in the Croatian shipowners’ association Mare Nostrum.
What can you say about the program International Business at the Faculty of Economics in Rijeka?
I have to admit, the first semester of studying was the most challenging because everything is in English, so we had to adjust to doing double work. This means that we had to learn economic terms both in Croatian and English. However, since we were a smaller group of students, I believe that our classes were more focused and that we built great relations with assistants and professors. The program itself was very interesting. It was very demanding, but that is normal if you want to be good at something. If you want to learn a lot and have good grades, you need to put in a lot of effort.
What else did you do during your studies?
Outside the Faculty, throughout all five years, I was a part of the Franciscan Youth in Krnjevo. Through two mandates, I was the regional president of the Primorsko-istarsko regional brotherhood Frame. Besides Frame, I participated in the Forum Plus Academy and I liked playing sports.
"In my part as president, I gained leadership and teamwork experience and a feeling of responsibility, not only for myself but for others as well, and that is very important in any workplace.”
How did this experience help you in choosing your career?
In my part as president, I gained leadership and teamwork experience and a feeling of responsibility, not only for myself but for others as well, and that is very important in any workplace. It is always important to show effort and will to work because we will never know everything, but as long as there is will to learn and advance it will be fine.
You won the Dean award for success. What does that mean to you?
Honestly, I did not expect it at all, but it was proof that hard work does pay off because it was not easy. Through learning we build ourselves and become able to help others. Of course, I am very honoured and thankful for that acknowledgement. Still, even after an award we need to move forward, keep working, studying and trying, be better so that we can create new chances for success and contribute to society.
