Broad MBA Hispanic Heritage Month: Bianca Haikal

As we wrap up Hispanic Heritage Month for 2026, we celebrate by sharing Bianca’s story of cultural pride, professional transformation, and purposeful leadership. Her journey from Brazil’s legal field to an MBA focused on marketing demonstrates how embracing new possibilities, while honoring one’s heritage, can create growth and inspire others to see what is possible.

Can you introduce yourself?:

Bianca Haikal, MBA’ 27

“Hi, my name is Bianca Haikal. I am in my second year of the MBA program at Michigan State University, and I will be graduating this May. I am from Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais in Brazil. In a city of 2.4 million people, it is full of growing technology and an innovative ecosystem, especially focused on the areas of IT and biotech. To go with all those great things, we also have a strong culture focused on food, music, and bringing people together, which I believe shaped a lot of who I am today.

I graduated from the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil with a background in law, and then spent about four and a half years working in the legal field before transitioning to business. My passion is marketing, and I realized I needed to move closer to business and technology to truly understand how the field works. I was drawn to pursing my MBA because I felt that it was the bridge between where I was and where I wanted to go. I saw getting my MBA as an opportunity to build my skills, network, and experience needed to make my transition into a role in the workforce that I am aiming for.

When picking where to go for my MBA, I considered other programs, but nothing stood out to me as much as what Michigan State had to offer. I am a Forté Fellow and a Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA) Fellow and seeing that commitment to supporting women and diverse communities was important to me. I also liked the size of the classes; I wanted an environment where the professors and staff could get to know me versus just being another number. Broad genuinely values its international students. As an international student, practical things mattered too. The cost of living in Michigan is much more manageable than in any major U.S. cities. Another benefit is being in the Eastern Time Zone, meaning I am only one hour apart from my family in Brazil. When I think of my future, I think of myself as a strong woman in a leadership position in either marketing or technology; creating spaces for women, especially Latina women and other international students, to help them see that they too belong in those rooms.”

What does Hispanic Heritage mean to you as a Latino?

“To me, Hispanic Heritage means multiple things. Because I am Brazilian, I am not technically Hispanic, but I am Latino. Much of our colonial history and language comes from Portugal instead of Spain, which to me makes it a great opportunity to talk about how diverse Latin America truly is. Being Latino is not just one specific way of doing things; we come from different countries, have different races, languages, traditions, and histories, but these experiences also connect us. As a Brazilian living in the United States, it has made me appreciate my Latin American identity even more – it reminds me that our heritage is something we carry with us while still creating new versions of ourselves wherever we go. As Brazilians, we are physically affectionate: we hug, stand closer to each other, and tend to be very expressive, while here in the United States, personal space can be a little different. One tradition I love is New Year’s Eve, when we wear white to symbolize peace and new beginnings, and in coastal cities many people go to the ocean to incorporate traditions with African roots, like offering flowers to lemanjá. Brazil has a great a mixture of Indigenous, African, European, and other influences that you can see through our traditions, music, food, and celebrations.

Bianca Haikal in her home country of Brazil.

Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15^th instead of the 1^st to mark the independence anniversary of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence just a few days later. These anniversaries are significant because they commemorate the independence of several Latin American nations from Spanish colonial rule. A common misconception is that “Latino,” Latina,” “Latinx,” and “Hispanic” all mean the same thing. “Hispanic” refers to people connected to Spanish-speaking language and heritage, while “Latino,” “Latinx,” and “Latina” are connected to Latin America. “Latinx” is a gender-neutral term that emerged primarily in the United States. While there are many terms to use, the most respectful approach is to use the terminology people choose for themselves. This means that someone can be from Spain can be Hispanic but not Latino, while someone from Brazil, like me, can be Latino but not Hispanic. These terms overlap, but they represent different identities. Hispanic Heritage Month is important because it is not only a moment to celebrate but also to reflect. Latino communities have worked hard to build lives in new places and adapt to different cultures, while still preserving their own identities. It also gives people outside of these communities a chance to understand how diverse Latin America is, and the chance to learn about our different languages, histories, traditions, and experiences.

I believe it is important to share my story because I think representation can change what people imagine is possible for themselves. If another international student; whether that be Brazilian, Latina, or a woman, sees my story and thinks, “maybe I can do that too,” then sharing is worth it. My path has not been completely linear. I started studying law, practicing, moved to another country, changed careers, and am now pursuing an MBA. I think there is value in showing people that you can reinvent yourself and still be proud of where you came from.”