Cristina Ledonne - President of the HEC MBA Partner's Club

Deciding to do this together
It was a difficult choice for us to come here: my partner, Stefano Bardi, and I both had rewarding careers that we had to put on hold, but we decided that it was now or never, and this was really the right time for us to do this together. Although, of course, I miss my family in Italy, I am very glad that we decided to come to France and to HEC. I came here to learn about life in France as well as life on campus. Stefano also had the opportunity to study in Barcelona, but we felt that HEC was the better choice: we were really attracted by the potential for career progression here, by the campus life, and by the presence of other families and partners.

Developing my personal and professional network
When I arrived in France, I had far less confidence in my ability to express myself in French, so I began taking French courses at HEC and at the Alliance Française in Paris. I also became President of the HEC MBA Partner's Club because I wanted to improve my French through interaction and communication. I would like to stay in France and establish a career here, so it's really important for me to master the language and start making connections.

Defining my passion and vocation as an artist
I'm an artist. I attended the Brera Academy of Fine Arts in Milan and worked as a graphic designer in advertising, an interior designer, and a set designer. My real passion and vocation is designing and constructing scenery and costumes for the theater.  Working as a set designer was incredibly rewarding. I worked for a theater company in Milan called Teatro Nodo, and it was amazing to see the final product, when actors were performing in my scenery.

Taking a step back to think about my career
Being at HEC is a great opportunity for me to step back and think about my career and where I want to go. In Italy, I was torn between several different careers: I was working as a set designer and a graphic designer at the same time. Here, I would really like to find a career that integrates my various artistic interests and talents in theater, ceramics, and design.  I really want to consolidate my passions and find a career where I can express them, here in France. That's why I'm working to build my network and explore different career paths, to see which one works best for me.