Andie (Andrea) Parazo 

University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business

“I’m a Mexican-Filipino queer person of color with a passion for running, education, and impact.”

Hometown: San Antonio, TX

Fun Fact About Yourself: I have an identical twin sister.

Undergraduate School and Major: I have a BA in Psychology from Rice University and an M.Ed. from Harvard University.

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Recruiter at Facebook, Inc.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: I’m proud of my work in education where I built out recruitment processes at a charter school system. I could see the impact that I had on individuals, company culture, and student outcomes.

What quality best describes the MBA classmates you’ve met so far and why? My McCombs classmates are inspirational. Every time I meet someone new, I am motivated to learn more and work harder.

What makes Austin such a great place to earn an MBA? Austin is a great place to earn an MBA because of its growth and opportunities. Every month, new companies come to and invest in Austin and are looking for talented MBAs. If you can’t find what you’re looking for in Austin, you have the access to build it.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key factor that led you to choose this program for your full-time MBA and why was it so important to you?  I had the privilege of visiting a handful of MBA programs before applying to schools.  I chose McCombs because, when I visited, I felt like I belonged here. I could envision myself in classes, hanging out with the students, and interacting with staff. I could very clearly see what I could gain from and how I could contribute to McCombs. When I visited other schools, I didn’t have the same sense of belonging. This “method” is the same method I used to choose Rice and Harvard in the past.

What club or activity are you looking most forward to in business school? I’m most excited about the McCombs Ambassador Committee (MAC). Through MAC, not only will I be able to contribute my skills in recruitment (I worked in recruitment for five years), but I’ll also be able to impact groups that are historically underrepresented in MBA programs (Black, Latinx, etc.). I decided to apply to business school because a Latina McCombs graduate showed me how a McCombs MBA could be right for me – I hope to leverage my intersectional identity to show underrepresented individuals that McCombs can be a home for them too.

What was the most challenging question you were asked during the admissions process? I’m not sure if this was the “most challenging question.” For me, it was certainly the most time-consuming one… When I applied to McCombs, I had the option to submit a video response for an essay prompt instead of a written essay. Despite my lack of technical skills and weakness in visual aesthetics, I decided to submit a video. It was difficult to say everything I wanted to say in one minute and make the video visually reflective of my personality. After dozens of iterations and a lot of frustration, I finally came up with something I could submit.

What led you to pursue an MBA at this point in your career? I thought a lot about what my next steps would be in my career and what skillsets I wanted to use or develop. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that I wasn’t going to gain what I wanted to gain in my current role. I explored internal pathways to develop those skills at my company, but I ultimately decided that an MBA would be a better investment for me.

What other MBA programs did you apply to? I only applied to McCombs, because it seemed like the perfect fit for me.

How did you determine your fit at various schools? Above all, I looked for a school with a collaborative culture and a strong reputation for excellence. I researched this by connecting with current students, alumni, and staff. Through these interactions, I tried to gauge how the schools valued and supported students from underrepresented populations.

I also considered if the schools could be a fit with my career goals and academic interests. I aim to stay in tech or transition into consulting, so I wanted to be at a school with strong ties to both industries. I also researched the MBA faculty to see if they were involved in research and projects that align with my interests.

What was your defining moment and how did it shape who you are? I’ve had a lot of defining moments in my life, but “coming out” was certainly a big one. Hiding part of my identity had a negative impact on many aspects of my life. When I began my first job as a teacher, I decided that I wanted to be out to everyone (friends, colleagues, etc.) because I thought the visibility would be important for my high school students. Because of this decision, I was a lot happier with myself and learned how to stand up for my beliefs, my identity, and the people I care about. I was also able to build my community and my LGBTQ family. I still have battles to fight when it comes to navigating my career as a queer person, but without the stressor of being “in the closet,” I can devote more energy to making an impact. I’m also willing to take bigger risks.

Where do you see yourself in ten years? It’s hard to say where I’ll be in ten years because I want to do everything! Wherever I am, I hope to help others (especially Latinx) gain access to the opportunities that I have. I want to give at least as much as I take.