Female Tec Santa Fe graduates win MIT Supply Chain Excellence Awards

Female engineering graduates from Tecnológico de Monterrey’s Santa Fe campus have been recognized by the MIT Supply Chain Excellence Awards program. 

Sofía Fiorillo, Claudia Fernández, and María Bifaretti received MIT fellowships, and Ana Paula Rodríguez was recognized with an honorable mention.

Students had to pass through several stages in order to be interviewed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in which they were asked for an essay explaining the reasons for receiving a fellowship and a video summarizing their résumé in just one minute.

The female engineers shared that it was a very challenging experience, as winning the fellowship represents years of effort and dedication.

Receiving MIT fellowships

This fellowship provides economic support to study for a master’s in Supply Chain Management at MIT.

“The first-place fellowship, which was the one they gave us, consists of either 25,000 dollars towards studying for a master’s degree at MIT in Boston or a full-tuition fellowship at one of MIT’s logistics centers in Spain, Malaysia, Luxembourg, or China,” Claudia explained.

“Being able to receive this fellowship reflects all the effort made during our undergraduate degrees at the Tec.

“All of our projects, activities, competitions, student groups, jobs, and international experiences to continue learning prepared us to become winners and deserving of this award,” said María.

In order to redeem the fellowship, students must successfully apply to the program and comply with the minimum requirement of two years of work experience.

“We’re very proud of this great award and, at the same time, grateful to all the people who have supported us throughout our degrees: our families, friends, Tec professors, and others,” said Sofia.

According to the female graduates, their participation in different academic and extracurricular projects, and their work experiences allowed them to develop the skills and knowledge necessary for their professional growth.

“Additionally, our motivation and commitment were key to always giving our best, as was our constant search for new challenges and opportunities.

“This fellowship will allow us to continue studying at a higher level, especially about supply chains. Our aim is to continue learning and become professionals capable of having positive and significant impacts”, said María.

Claudia said that the extra-curricular opportunities provided by the Tec were something they’re grateful for. 

“For example, because the Tec has an agreement with MIT, we were able to be part of a semester-long project analyzing the ecological impact of Fast Fashion and clothing rental services. 

“We were able to grow and develop other skills as a result of these activities. In the process, we met people who were important to our professional development. This wouldn’t have been possible without the Tec, which is why we are very grateful,” she said.

Winner of an honorable mention

Ana Paula Rodríguez was given an Honorable Mention, which consists of a 10,000-dollar fellowship towards the MIT master’s program in Supply Chain Management, or a 75% tuition discount on MIT SCALE (Supply Chain and Logistics Excellence) master’s programs at centers in China, Luxembourg, Malaysia, or Spain. 

“I’m very excited to have won this award. Having an opportunity like this is a great privilege. I did a year-long internship dedicated to Supply Chains, where I gained lots of professional experience.

“I believe that my dedication was a big factor in getting me to this point. Knowing the requirements to needed to win the fellowship four years in advance meant I could prepare myself to achieve this goal,” she emphasized.

Other Tec de Monterrey graduates who received honorable mentions were:

• María Ximena Arreola
• Andrés Eduardo Camarillo
• Abraham Guerrero
• Andres Vargas-Pérez

Ana Paula’s goal is to help different organizations make timely and effective decisions, even in critical situations.

“Right now, supply chain challenges are much greater in areas such as sustainability, meaning it also represents a huge commitment. I’m sure that with knowledge from MIT, from the best SCM program in the world, I’ll be able to achieve that goal”, she explained.

The winners shared their gratitude to the Tec.

“The preparation and exposure they give us is unique. I’ve always had the support of my directors and teachers when achieving my goals and I’ve always had the tools I need,” said Ana Paula.

“We’d like to thank the people who supported us and helped us get here: our course director José Luis Guzzi, our families, friends, Tec professors, and Dr. Josué Velázquez Martínez,” concluded Sofia, Claudia, and Maria.

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