MEET Maria Bruno ‘22, ‘24 CURRENT MAJOR: MBA, International Business Management ‘24 EARNED: Bachelor of Arts, Media and Communications ‘22
When you meet Maria Alejandro Mariale Taguaruco Bruno, you are instantly met with her gorgeous smile, bright blue eyes and a magnetic personality that speaks without words. It says – I’m fierce, but a little shy; I’m competitive, but compassionate.
Bruno was born and raised in Maracay, Aragua State, near the Caribbean Sea in Venezuela, a country in South America. It’s most known for Angel Falls, the world’s highest waterfall and for being called the Garden City for its large amount of vegetation.
You’d expect many cultural differences between two countries with opposing political systems, but it brings a smile to learn that Bruno grew up watching American television – and her favorite show – Friends.
Achieving the dream of playing tennis and attending college
Since Venezuela was going through a political economic situation, her parents knew that she wouldn’t be able to play professional sports in their home country. But 12-year-old Bruno wanted nothing more than to come to the United States to achieve a college degree, play tennis and land a career.
Tennis lessons were expensive in Venezuela, but her parents Maria Alejandra Taguaruco and Marco Antonio Bruno spent years of sacrificing so that she and her siblings could play sports. When Bruno graduated high school from Colegio La Concepcion, there were only two things standing in the way of achieving her dreams – a plane ticket and a scholarship.
Like many international students who want to play sports in America, Bruno started the process by having her coaches send a sports video and a resume to American colleges and universities. She was accepted by several colleges, but not offered a scholarship. Then the family remembered Bruno’s cousin, Melanie Bonomo, who had played tennis for Goldey-Beacom.
The phone call that changed Maria’s life
It was late spring 2018 – a few phone calls were exchanged – and then Bruno’s phone rang. It was longtime head tennis coach Joe Kissel who introduced himself and said, “Maria, I saw your video and your resume, and I really want you on my team. I’m giving you a scholarship.”
Bruno was elated that she would receive a scholarship that would make her dreams come true. It would enable her to come to America, achieve a college education and join a competitive college tennis team. It was the key to her professional growth and independence.
“My scholarships gave me the opportunity to study here,” said Bruno. “I wanted to achieve a degree and graduate here in the U.S. My scholarships gave me the opportunity to keep playing tennis which is one of the things that I love. It meant I was able to pursue more opportunities for my professional career.”
A busy student life
In addition to a busy academic schedule, Bruno is captain of the Tennis Team and has spent the last five years playing the sport (except 2020 due to COVID).
Initially, balancing classes, homework and athletics during her final semester in 2022 wasn’t easy. Loaded with seven or eight undergrad classes, Bruno said, “Oh my gosh, it was hard. I was waking up early and doing homework all day. Sometimes I could do homework in the Fitness Center if it wasn’t too busy.”
She is currently in her second year working toward an MBA in International Business Management with the anticipated graduation date of May 2024. She is also a resident assistant (RA) and works for the Department of Athletics. She takes fewer (but more difficult) classes giving her the entire week to study and prepare for classes.
GBC’s Career Services has helped her to explore internships and potential jobs. “This would have been 10 times harder if I stayed home in Venezuela,” Bruno said. “Here, I have the resources, the connections and people who will help me become even more successful.”
As Bruno begins to wrap up her GBC education, she’s focused on the future. “I love sports in general, not just tennis,” says Bruno. She hasn’t pinpointed a career, but she has time and opportunity. As a fluent English and Spanish speaker, she’ll be armed with two degrees, work experience, a passion for sports and a world of choices in front of her.
Looking back
As Bruno reflects on her time at GBC, she says, “One of my first classes was humanities with Dr. Mary Wheeling. She became one of my favorite professors. I took a humanities class with her and now five years later, she still asks how I’m doing. Humanities was so hard because it was history and culture. I remember studying for tests, and I used to copy everything in Spanish and then translate it, so it would take hours. But I got an A, and I was so happy!”
As she continued reminiscing about undergrad classes, she said, “Dr. Bill Rivers is a great professor, too. I learned how to write a good essay.”
Bruno hasn’t always been immersed in studies. She and her friends once took a train to Philadelphia to visit to a Venezuelan restaurant. To her surprise, “It was like being at home, complete with a Spanish menu and Venezuelan owners.”
During a recent trip to New York City, she stayed at an Air B&B, ate in little Italy and went to a Spanish club. Maria Bruno’s advice for new and potential GBC students:
This article was previously featured in The Goldey-Beacom College Magazine
Goldey-Beacom College is a Equal Opportunity Employer/Program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.
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