Broad MBA Hispanic Heritage Month: Gabriela De Campos

Gabriela De Campos, MBA ’27

Broad MBA continues to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month by listening to the experiences that connect our community across cultures, countries, and career paths. Gabby’s story reflects the joy, creativity, and strong sense of connection she associates with Brazilian culture, as well as the professional growth that brought her back to marketing and towards new opportunities with Michigan’s automotive industry.

Can you introduce yourself?:

“Hello, my name is Gabriela De Campos, I am a second-year MBA student at Michigan State University with a concentration in Marketing. I am from a small town in São Paulo, Brazil and I moved here in 2019 after graduating with my bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in Marketing. Originally, I came to the U.S. to learn English but ended up staying and building my life here. My professional background is mostly in banking and finance. After working in finance for several years, I realized I wanted to go back to marketing. I decided to pursue an MBA because I wanted a refresh on what I had learned previously, learn how the field has evolved, and prepare myself to transition back into a marketing career. Because I was already settled in Michigan and knew I wanted to stay here, MSU was the only school I applied to. I have family members who have graduated from MSU, including someone who completed the MBA program. I am comfortable here in Michigan and I didn’t want to move somewhere else. When thinking about my future, I am still figuring out which area of marketing I want to pursue. I love being creative and finding different ways to achieve goals, and I am also discovering new areas of marketing that interest me. My dream job is to work in marketing in the automotive industry and to remain here in Michigan.”

What does Hispanic Heritage mean to you as a woman from Brazil and Latin America?:

To me, Hispanic Heritage means embracing our differences and more importantly, celebrating them. Because I am Brazilian, I am not Hispanic because my primary language is Portuguese. I really relate to Hispanic Heritage Month because Latin America has so many different cultures and backgrounds, but it gives us a chance to celebrate what makes each of us unique while also recognizing what connects us. One of the best words to describe Brazilian culture would be happiness–we love to celebrate and spend time together as a family. One of the most well-known celebrations in Brazil is Carnival, it’s a huge celebration with music, dancing, costumes, parades, and different religious traditions. I think it represents the happiness, energy and creativity that is such a big part of the Brazilian culture. In our culture, we are generally very casual and spontaneous; we don’t always plan ahead of time, sometimes that simply means showing up to a friend’s house and just hanging out. Our relationship with time can also be different; in Brazil being a little late to a social event is pretty normal, sometimes showing up exactly on time for a party can actually feel strange! I also believe that making friends can happen very naturally because people tend to be open, expressive, and comfortable talking to new people. We are all not the same, but after moving to the United States, some of these cultural differences stood out to me.

How does being Latino relate to Hispanic Heritage Month?:

Hispanic Heritage is important because it gives us the opportunity to celebrate where we come from while helping others learn more about our cultures. Latin America is incredibly diverse with each country having their own history, traditions, food, music, and way of life. Recognizing what makes us different but also what connects us is important to understand that each culture is unique. One thing that is a common misconception is the use of, “Hispanic,” “Latino,” “Latina,” and “Latinx.” You can be Hispanic and not Latino, like someone from Spain because Spain is a Spanish-speaking country but is not located in Latin America. Or you can be Latino but not Hispanic, which is how I identify because I am from Brazil and we speak Portuguese, not Spanish. You can also be Hispanic and Latino, like someone from Mexico or Columbia. And, “Latinx,” is a gender-neutral term that some people use to identify themselves instead of “Latino,” or “Latina.” These terms reflect our different histories, cultures, and geographic backgrounds. Because Brazil wasn’t colonized by Spain like most Spanish-speaking countries in South America, we speak Portuguese, and even though we are all apart of Latin America, we share similarities and we have differences which are important to celebrate, instead of assuming that all Latino or Hispanic cultures are the same.

It is important for me to share my story because it gives more people an opportunity to learn more about Brazilian culture. Brazil is an enormous country, almost as big as the United States. Because we are the only Portuguese-speaking country in South America, our culture can sometimes feel a little isolated from our Spanish-speaking neighbors. Brazil is a beautiful and incredibly diverse place and there is so much more to the country than the things people associate us with. I am proud of where I come from and I want people to have the opportunity to learn more about Brazil and Brazilian Culture.”