A Sporting Good Time in Berkeley
Hi! I’m José Adrián Rodríguez Flores and am finishing up my M.B.A. program at IPADE Business School in Monterrey, Mexico. I completed my bachelor's degree in law from the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey, or better called ITESM or Tec de Monterrey, the Number One university in Mexico and in the Top 5 in Latin America.
I applied to and was accepted into the Berkeley Haas Global Access Program for the Fall 2024 semester. I was drawn to Haas’ connections and prestige, and that it is well known around the world. The entrepreneurial mindset and the management and business connections that Haas has in the business world are immense, and its core values are very alike mine. I identified with the school from the moment I saw Berkeley on my university’s exchange program list—there was only one spot available through my university and I knew it was going to be mine! The San Francisco Bay Area and its surroundings were a perfect draw for me.
Excited to Hear Different Voices
I took Entrepreneurship—the best course, TBH!—with Arman Zand and Ken Wilcox, International Marketing, Product Management, Thriving at Haas and Beyond, Design Innovation and a Decal course about hiking.
All of these classes complemented my M.B.A. learning in that they were taught with a different point of view as compared to my home university. Learning through case studies involved understanding a lot of points of view and participation, which I really liked. Because all of my classmates were from all around the world, hearing their different mindsets was amazing.
I also attended some career coaching sessions with Jennifer Davis. She’s really good and gave me some very interesting tips for my résumé, which helped me land a very good job here in México. I’m working as a commercial specialist at Polaris Inc. When I complete my M.B.A. in June 2025, I’m looking forward to entering the corporate life, building a successful career to become a commercial manager/director at a multinational company. I want to build teams and work with them to meet our goals, including profitability but also welfare for the team. I have a life philosophy of “Help others without interest and you will do well in life.”
Learning through case studies involved understanding a lot of points of view and participation, which I really liked. Because all of my classmates were from all around the world, hearing their different mindsets was amazing.
Sports, Sports, Sports!
I really liked going to the Embarcadero area, eating at restaurants, hanging out at bars—but everything related to sports was the best thing for me! I went to a 49ers football game, a Giants baseball game and a Golden State Warriors basketball game. If I could, I would have gone to a game every single day!
I also went to all of the Cal Bears games, including those for soccer, basketball, volleyball and football.
I also want to mention that I worked in dining services at iHouse during the fall semester—that may be one of the best experiences I had during my visiting-student program.
Beyond attending every single sporting event I could, I made sure to make time to take advantage of the Silicon Valley Connections through which I visited Google and Apple and met some of their employees who gave us tips, recommendations and advice, and answered all of our questions. I really enjoyed those connections, which brings a lot of value to this program.
Beyond attending every single sporting event I could, I made sure to make time to take advantage of the Silicon Valley Connections through which I visited Google and Apple.
My BHGAP Bucket List Complete
My top things to do in Berkeley and San Francisco include:
- Attend all the sports games—both Cal and San Francisco teams!
- Spend the day around Market Street in downtown San Francisco, checking out the museums, stores, bars and restaurants.
- Go on day trips to Golden Gate Park.
- Visit the Golden Gate Bridge: There are several ways and locations to see the bridge so try them all!
- Taste all of the different food options in Berkeley. My favorites were Mexican, Chinese, Guatemalan and Italian cuisines.
My Advice to You
Try everything, connect with everyone and enjoy your time there as it goes by so fast.
Attending Berkeley is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and you are responsible for how much you take advantage—so do your best, try your best and be your best.
