It’s hard to believe Gabrielle Bastos is only 26 years old.
When she speaks about her education and experience, she sounds like someone who has seen everything. With three degrees from Georgia State’s Robinson College of Business as well as a mastery of three languages under her belt, she’s a triple threat.
Bastos holds an associate degree in business, a B.B.A. in business, and a master’s in international business. A self-described lifelong learner, she found the decision to pursue higher education easy. Propelled by a fascination with international business, she wanted to delve deeper into the minutiae with people who could provide real-world insights. The Master of International Business program aligned with her career goals as a project manager for Associated Credit Union.
“The program offers a track that covers supply chain and procurement management,” she said. “I am extremely passionate about project management and working with cross-functional teams. Working with every area of business is something I like to do.”
Throughout her studies, Bastos encountered a diverse group of students and professors who brought authentic experiences and perspectives to the classroom.
“One professor worked in procurement at Bank of America,” she said. “Another professor spent years at Walmart and taught us about [a major retailer’s] supply chain.”
As part of her capstone project, Bastos partnered with Cirque du Soleil on a strategy to bring entertainment back to major cities post pandemic. The plan centered around a parade throughout the streets of Atlanta to announce the show’s return. Bastos and her classmates met with prospective vendors and executives from the Coca-Cola Company, Disney, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and nonprofits to gauge potential contributions.
“We developed a detailed business plan: cost allocations, planning resources, the parade route, what the floats would look like, and what kind of dancers and performances we’d have,” she said. “We put it all together in six weeks.”
Bastos was born in Brazil, is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish, and enjoys learning about new cultures and customs. Her biggest aspiration is to delve into major projects at large organizations.
“I have a vision of implementing projects across the world,” she said. “I love to travel, so I’ll continue to look for opportunities that allow me to do that.”
Bastos is unsure of what her future holds.
“I’m still just 26,” she smiled. “I still have so much to accomplish. If money and time were not an issue, I would keep coming back to Robinson to earn new degrees and learn new things.”