Marley Gomez-Olivas
University of Texas, McCombs School of Business
“Tall, smiley, and obsessed with film always seeking to uplift others by connecting first.”
Fun fact about yourself: The bravest thing I’ve ever done was give a speech to a live audience of over one thousand people.
Hometown: Laredo, Texas
High School: St. Augustine High School
Major: Canfield Business Honors and Finance
Minor: Management Information Systems
Favorite Business Course: FIN 372 – Financial Institutions
I thoroughly enjoyed this course because it addressed both the economics and history of banking, along with how the lessons and experiences from banking in other countries inform areas of finance that directly affect us, as consumers, in the present. By combining my love of history and finance, this course sparked my interest in understanding the symbiotic relationships between governments and financial systems and inspired me to choose courses that expand on the importance of this subject.
Extracurricular Activities, Community Work and Leadership Roles During College:
Honors:
- Texas Exes’ President’s Leadership Award
- Hispanic Scholarship Fund Scholar
- University Honors (6 Semesters)
- George Mitchell Student Leadership Award
- College Scholar (Top 20% GPA)
Extracurriculars:
- Canfield BHP Alumni Advisory Board – Student Representative
- Canfield Business Honors Program Office – Peer Advisor
- McCombs School of Business – MAN101 Teacher Assistant
- Longhorn Center for Academic Equity – Transition and Success Coach
- Texas Orange Jackets – Active Member (Tap Class of 2023)
- Central Texas Model UN – Secretary-General, Chief of Staff, USG of Crisis and Specialized Committees, Crisis Staffer
- Business Diversity Association – Executive Vice President
- Target Your Future – Member Relations Coordinator
Where have you interned during your college career?
- McKinsey & Company – Sophomore Summer Business Analyst; Austin, TX
- Microsoft – Business Program Manager Intern; Redmond, WA
Where will you be working after graduation? McKinsey & Company – Business Analyst
What is the biggest lesson you gained from studying business? During my internship experience in consulting, I distinctly remember being surprised at seeing the firm’s partners, who’d been working in the industry for decades, taking the time to take the role of students and diligently ask questions when workshops would be offered, or new topics arose. In those moments, I came to realize the sheer importance of preserving one’s hunger for knowledge and willingness to change perspective, even after accumulating such years of expertise. Just like the business landscape is ever-changing, we, too, must be willing to evolve alongside it.
What advice would you give to a student looking to major in a business-related field? Without a doubt, identify, preserve, and nurture your interests from the very beginning and integrate them into your career. In a world where it may sometimes seem like modeling or interviewing skills are the only thing sought after, being different and well-rounded pays off. Possessing knowledge about history, science, or anthropology provides context that may very well mark the difference between success or failure in the workplace.
Looking back over your experience, what is the one thing you’d do differently in business school and why? I’d give myself more time to explore all the different industries and possibilities available to me. The skills business school develops are far more flexible and transferable than I ever realized. I would’ve branched out even more and explored niche areas, such as arts, sports, or government work. Being willing to try out new things and learn from what I like and don’t would’ve allowed me to further understand my strengths and preferences to, ultimately, build a stronger skill set and richer experience.
What is one way that your business school has integrated AI into your programming? What is one insight you gained from using AI? AI has been integrated into my courses as a resource for the validation of learning and development of critical thinking skills. Our professors have consistently encouraged us to reframe our thinking about its use from taking outputs as fact to utilizing it as a resource to improve understanding of key concepts. For example, in my MIS372T – Open Innovation course, we were tasked with directing AI to develop hundreds of user stories for a new product and synthesize its findings into what the most common and extreme user experience would look like. This quickly helped us understand the Jobs to be done (JBTD) and create an empathy map. Without these tools, reaching these conclusions would’ve taken much more time and nuance. AI has allowed me to streamline exploration processes to refine hypothesis and identify opportunities.
Which academic, extracurricular or personal achievement are you most proud of? I’m most proud of my work with Central Texas Model UN throughout my college career. Specifically, when, after recognizing the need for greater inclusivity, I spearheaded the creation of a committee fully conducted in Spanish, accommodating 25 delegates. This initiative aimed at creating a space for high school students, whose first language wasn’t English, to demonstrate their debating and critical thinking skills in a leveled playing field. I’m proud of this initiative because it not only broadened participation in our conference, but also helped students become more confident in their public speaking skills and realize that bilingualism is incredibly valuable tool in our world.
Which classmate do you most admire? The classmate I admire the most is my best friend, Christina Ayala. Ever since I first met her in our first year, I have never ceased to be amazed at what she can do. No matter what life throws at her, her perseverance, wit, drive, and passion inspire me to reach higher and keep going. Tina’s superpower is to make people feel seen and understood, no matter how busy she is. I can rely on her for timely advice and perspective. Her selflessness and dedication to giving back, while being a stellar student, make her a pillar of what it means to be a servant leader. She is dedicated to pursuing cybersecurity to better our world and protect consumers in the face of a new digital era.
Who would you most want to thank for your success? I have been lucky to have an endless number of amazing people around me throughout my life, but one especially impactful person I want to thank is my mom. Along with my dad, she has always encouraged me to pursue my interests and supported everything I do under a single condition: I put 100% of myself into it. Her thirst for knowledge, charisma, and strength have always inspired me to take up space and be confident in myself. I’m eternally grateful for my parent’s active presence in my life and the sacrifices they’ve made so our family can have a better life.
What are the top two items on your professional bucket list?
- Establish a think tank focused on government financial policy
- Serve as an economic advisor for trade missions to key partner countries
What made Marley such an invaluable addition to the Class of 2025?
“Marley has been outstanding at McCombs – a phenomenal student, a great class participant, a smiling face in the classroom, a mentor to other first-generation students, and someone who brings a really unique perspective to the classroom after being raised on the US-Mexico border. At McCombs, Marley was part of the Business Honors Program in which faculty run courses similar to our graduate program, and she had tremendous success in the classroom. She has been a leader in our school, serving as a student representative to the Business Honors Alumni Board. She was also a leader on campus and was selected for membership in the premier women’s service organization, Texas Orange Jackets.
Marley was a frequent visitor to my office hours, and I benefited tremendously by learning about her background as an American citizen in a Mexican family. She had incredible appreciation for her family and their sacrifice for her, and that seemed to drive everything she did. She’s an amazing student and person. She’s going to be working for McKinsey after she graduates and I’m confident that she will be a star there. I can promise that McCombs is better because of Marley.”
Sanford Leeds
Professor of Instruction
Finance Department
The University of Texas at Austin, McCombs School of Business
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