Matias Cancela ’22

I felt a strong connection to Yale SOM since the first information session I attended. The school’s values and culture really resonated with me. When I visited campus I remember calling my wife and telling her: ‘This is the place for us.’ 

Whenever I speak with prospective candidates, I advise them to follow their gut first and then consider the rational reasons. In my case, aside from the strong connection, I needed a school with a strong global brand, and Yale’s brand is extremely prestigious wherever you go.

I’m one of the captains of the SOM United captains soccer club, and I’m also an admissions chair for the Association of Hispanic and Latin American Students. Each role has enriched me in many different ways. I’ve been working hard to expand the awareness of Yale SOM’s MBA in Latin America and trying to get more Uruguayans to Yale. Along the way I’ve been able to meet and help many Latin American students who want to apply to Yale SOM, and I’ve learned a lot about myself and other people. 

On the soccer team, I’ve been able to build relationships with classmates in a different environment. Sports are important to mental health, so giving the community an opportunity to have fun through soccer is no small thing.

There’s a lot of support for recruiting at Yale SOM. The professional clubs do an amazing job structuring the process and giving you the necessary information and prep to be successful. They’re led by second-year students with the expertise and knowledge to guide you through. The Career Development Office also has an amazing team of coaches who are always available. I leveraged their knowledge in many ways, and I’m always joking that they’ve been like my professional therapists—always there to support me when I was feeling stressed. 

The Yale SOM community is just unique. We all help each other. It doesn’t matter if we’re applying for the same roles—we truly want to see our classmates succeed.