Ariana Loor

Purdue University, Krannert School of Management

“Loves a challenge. Traveler. Driven. Faithful. Dedicated friend. Advocate for diversity and equity. Trilingual. Perfectionist.”

Fun fact about yourself:

• I have moved 9 times to 7 different countries – Ecuador, Brazil, Honduras, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Peru and the U.S.
• I am 5’0” – a lot of people expect me to be taller when they first meet me because of my big personality.
• I don’t have a driver’s license and I don’t know how to drive.

Hometown: Quito, Ecuador

High School: Franklin Delano Roosevelt (The American School of Lima)

Major: General Management

Minor: Human Resources Management

Favorite Business Course: MGMT 306 – Management Science

Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:

1. ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals for America)
   • Role: Co-Founder & President
2. Forté Foundation
   • Role: Forté Scholar and Campus Ambassador
3. Life at Krannert
   • Role: Blogger
4. Dean’s List (7 semesters)
5. Semester Honors (7 semesters)
6. 1st place at Deloitte Case Competition

Where have you interned during your college career?

Senior Year (Summer 2021)

• Company: Procter & Gamble
• Location: Unknown
• Role: Human Resources Manager Intern

Junior Year: (Summer 2020)

• Company: GE Aviation
• Location: Virtual
• Role: Human Resources Leadership Program (HRLP) Intern

Sophomore Year: (Summer 2019)

• Company: The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
• Location: Akron, OH
• Role: Human Resources Intern

Where will you be working after graduation? I will be working towards my Master’s degree in Human Resources Management.

What company do you admire most? The company I admire the most is Procter & Gamble; it has been my dream company since I can remember. I admire their commitment to diversity and inclusion, not only within the company, but with their customers and clients.

Who is your favorite professor? My favorite professor is Prof. Andy Alexander, who teaches MGMT 306. Not only is Prof. Alexander passionate about helping students succeed in the class but he is always willing to help students with their careers and job search. Additionally, he was the professor that taught me how crucial it is to be comfortable around numbers, statistics, and reporting, as it is what the future of business holds.

What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? The biggest lesson I have learned from studying business is that every subject matters. When I started college, I thought that I would only use the content learned in my HR classes in my career. However, after my internships I have realized how important it is to be well-rounded and knowledgeable about every area in business; that is what will set you apart.

What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? My advice to students looking to major in a business-related field is to make the most out of every subject you take. Even if it is not the subject you enjoy the most, put in the effort because it will benefit you in your future career and it will set you apart. Additionally, get involved in business-related student organizations and take leadership roles to bring the knowledge learned in class to life. It will enrich your college experience!

Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? The one thing I would do differently is getting involved early. As a freshman, I was afraid to join student organizations or to attend career fairs, thinking that nobody would take me seriously. Now I know that freshman year is the best year to get involved, meet other students, network, and begin to understand how the job search works. It is the best opportunity to get your feet wet and get a head start.

Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? The extracurricular achievement I am most proud of is co-founding and leading the ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals for America) chapter at Purdue. When I joined Krannert, there was no student organization for Latinx students in business and I knew I had to change that. I worked with three other students and we were able to open a student chapter of ALPFA at our school with the mission of empowering and developing Latino men and women as leaders of our nation. After one year of starting the organization, we had recruited 100+ outstanding and talented students who were eager to learn and grow in the organization.

Which classmate do you most admire? The classmate I admire the most is Dhruv Patel, with whom I had the pleasure of working during my junior year. Dhruv is an outstanding student who is always looking for opportunities to make the world a better place. During his junior year, he was working on a platform to reduce the burden of student loans by matching students with professionals willing to sponsor part or all of their education. During his senior year, he worked with successful Purdue alumni to build a platform that would bridge the gap between alumni and students. This platform is still running at Purdue. Not only does it connect students with alumni, but it reminds us the amazing things that can be accomplished as a Boilermaker. Additionally, when Dhruv heard I was preparing for some case interviews, he offered his time to help me get some practice.

Who would you most want to thank for your success? I would like to thank Wendy Dukes for my success as she was the first person that saw potential in me during my freshman year and worked with me for the past four years to develop that potential. I met with Wendy every week to work on my resume, elevator pitch, company research, and interview skills. With time, Wendy became more than a career advisor, she became a friend. Thanks to Wendy, I am the person I am today.

What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?

1. Meet Rosalind Brewer.
2. I have already moved to several countries in South America throughout my childhood so I would love to do an international assignment in Europe at some point in my professional career.

What are your hobbies? In my free time, I enjoy traveling to new places with friends and family. I also enjoy photography.

What made Ariana such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2021?

“Innovative and hard-working, Ariana is a take-charge type of leader. If Ariana saw an opportunity to learn, she took it. If she saw an opportunity to advance, she took it. If she saw an opportunity to make an impact, she took it. Because of these qualities, Ariana made a significant impact at Krannert during her four years as a student and is a role model for future students at the school.

I met Ariana during her freshman year when my office offered a career trek for Krannert students to visit the Google office in Chicago. I emailed the opportunity out for students to sign up, and she was one of the first to respond. It was after that trip that I encouraged many of the students who attended the trip to visit me if they needed any assistance with their resume or job search, and Ariana visited the next week. From that day forward, Ariana would either visit my office or email me weekly to seek advice or to update me on a challenge or goal she was working on. Over the duration of the next four years, Ariana participated in many school activities, all while taking 18-20 credit hours a semester and maintaining a 3.9 GPA. However, two of her goals prior to graduating from Purdue stand out the most to me. Not only did Ariana plan to graduate with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in four years, but she also wanted to leave a legacy for the Latino students at Krannert.

Utilizing college credits that she had accumulated during high school, Ariana was on track to graduate early from Purdue. Alternatively, most students might utilize their fourth year to study abroad or take on a second major. Ariana decided to pursue a master’s degree, building upon her undergraduate human resource management major. Ariana would become one of the first students to graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Management and a Master of Science degree in Human Resource Management. She would do this within four years setting a precedence and pathway for future students who wanted to take the same path.

When Ariana was a sophomore, she joined the Purdue ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals for America) chapter, which was chartered in 2019, and by her junior year, she assumed the role of President. “I want ALPFA to host a Diversity Symposium in January 2020”, she said to me in December, a month before the event was proposed to occur! I advised her if she wanted the event to happen, she needed a list of target companies, a budget, a venue, and a keynote speaker. Anytime Ariana noticed an opportunity to make an impact on the community, she would jump at the opportunity. The Diversity Symposium in 2020 featured companies such as P&G, Elanco, JPMorgan and Oracle and provided an opportunity for nearly 100 ALPFA members to network and learn more about diversity in the workplace. It is now a signature event for the club that Ariana hopes will continue after she has graduated.

Ariana’s drive and brilliance to create and execute has made her an invaluable addition to the Class of 2021. If there is a student that I will remember for her contributions to the Purdue campus and community, it is definitely Ariana.”

Wendy Dukes
Director of Corporate Stewardship & Alumni Engagement
Krannert Professional Development Center

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