Born and raised in Portland, Gabriela Arleth Iraheta Romero spent most of her childhood in the city's Northeast. She is a first-generation college student graduating with a degree in advertising management and a certificate in Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship. Gabriela has a passion for learning new things and exploring different art mediums. She has been actively involved in various campus organizations, including serving as president and service officer of Kappa Delta Chi Inc. sorority, managing director of FIR NW, a peer mentor for TRIO SSS, and a member of the Latiné Student Leadership Coalition and ATMOS, among others.
Gabriela attributes much of her motivation and success in college to her family, including her parents, brother, cousin, and friends. She finds that her support system challenges her to be the best version of herself. “As a first-generation student, I have a familiar feeling of wanting to graduate to represent all those who have supported me through my journey and, in doing so, pave the way to provide back for my family.”
Studying business gives Gabriela a sense of leadership and the ability to think on the spot. She sees business as a field with the potential to create innovative ideas, simpler solutions, and a better world for others. Although Gabriela has always wanted to be involved in everything, she needed to choose a clear career path. Her journey to business was not straightforward; she initially showed interest in architecture, then forensics, before ultimately deciding to major in advertising.
“Advertising Management fuels my imagination; it challenges me to think outside the box and find ways to communicate with people through visual, sound, written, or different formats. It can be involved in every aspect of industries, which made me decide to study business.”
Majoring in advertising has given Gabriela a clear career goal: to open a hotel that embodies everything business should be, providing a safe and welcoming place for everyone.
Building relationships has been a significant part of Gabriela’s college experience. She found her community while working within the student-run agency, FIR NW (recently rebranded as Student Works). Through her courses at Portland State University, she has learned how to lead and create a motivating environment. Working with various organizations on campus, Gabriela has learned the value of listening to people with different perspectives and personalities and working together to achieve a common goal.
“Student Works, PSU, and organizations I have been a part of have taught me that listening is the best thing you can do for yourself; learning to intake knowledge and ideas can only create a more significant understanding of the community around us.”
Gabriela advises future students interested in studying business to give it a try. She believes that a business degree allows you to define your perspective, with different concentrations offering opportunities to explore numerous fields within the business industry. She explains that while we are constantly surrounded by business, a company's success should not be solely defined by profit. Instead, it should be determined by its values, how it benefits a community, and the relationships it builds.
“There is more to a business degree than you can imagine. So try it, and find a deeper connection to what you want to do, how you want to make people feel, or what you want to represent.”