Cristina Fernandez Bermejo, a native of Madrid, Spain, attended the University of Missouri–St. Louis as an undergraduate exchange student from August 2022 to May 2023. She returned to UMSL to pursue an MBA, which she received during graduation ceremonies on Friday. (Photo by Derik Holtmann)
Three years ago, Cristina Fernandez Bermejo left St. Louis in tears not knowing when she might return after a year studying abroad at the University of Missouri–St. Louis. This weekend, the emotions flowed again knowing that coming back to UMSL was the best decision she could have made.
Fernandez Bermejo walked the stage in the Mark Twain Athletic Center on Friday night after completing her MBA with an emphasis in international business. She said that “time has flown by” since she began the program through the Ed G. Smith College of Business in August 2024, but it’s time that Fernandez Bermejo has no doubt was well spent.
If only she had known what the future held for her, perhaps that first stretch at UMSL would not have ended with such sadness.
A native of Madrid, Spain, Fernandez Bermejo was an undergraduate student at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, working toward a degree in international studies with a minor in international cooperation. After her second year, Fernandez Bermejo decided she would benefit from a year studying abroad, and UMSL, who had a partnership with her home institution, seemed like it might be a good fit. But Fernandez Bermejo said she was not prepared for how good her experience at UMSL would turn out to be.
“Right from the start, it was great,” said Fernandez Bermejo, who started her junior year at UMSL in August 2022. “I went through orientation with UMSL Global along with the other international students, and this was the first time being away from our families for a lot of us, but they really made us feel so calm and so welcome.”
That high level of support became a running theme for Fernandez Bermejo during her time at UMSL. She quickly came to appreciate the practical teaching approach and hands-on learning opportunities, as well as the smaller class sizes, which allowed students to develop a closer relationship with the professors.
“That was nice, because you could always ask them if you have some problems, you could talk to them,” Fernandez Bermejo said. “They were always there supporting you, and you could see that they want you to succeed and be your best self.”
Leaving UMSL at the end of the academic year in May 2023 proved difficult, but the impact the university had on her made the next step an easy decision.
During her final year at Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Fernandez Bermejo said she became concerned that her choice of undergraduate degree lacked the business component that would be helpful in her career. That combined with her desire to explore the international arena led Fernandez Bermejo back to St. Louis to pursue her MBA at UMSL.
“Especially because I knew that the College of Business here was really, really good,” she said. “The way that you’re taught at UMSL, I got to see what I was studying actually come to fruition, with real-life experiences. I got to learn how things actually go around in the real world.”
Fernandez Bermejo also got to pick up experience as a graduate assistant to Teaching Professor Perry Drake, chair of the Department of Marketing and Entrepreneurship, as well as a research assistant to Tessa Garcia-Collart, an assistant professor of marketing. Additionally, Fernandez Bermejo joined the UMSL Marketing Club, and this year, she served as the club treasurer and was a co-coordinator along with club president Clayton Bruce for the Midwest Digital Marketing Conference.
On May 6, Fernandez Bermejo was recognized during the Business Celebration Program as the Star Student in the MBA program. She was also honored as a 2026 graduate of the RISE Academy, a two-semester program that helps UMSL students improve professional communication and networking skills.
“I can’t say enough about Cristina,” said Drake, who is the faculty advisor for the Marketing Club. “She has been phenomenal, just stellar, and she is truly going to be missed. I see great things happening for Cristina.”
Last summer, Fernandez Bermejo put her knowledge to work with an internship at CSI Leasing in the Global Desk department. She helped support the onboarding process for clients around the world, gaining firsthand experience coordinating with international offices and learning how a global company maintains consistency across multiple countries and business environments. Fernandez Bermejo said she is hopeful that the experience will lead to an opportunity that allows her to stay in St. Louis.
“I think the world is at her fingertips,” Garcia-Collart said. “She’s going to excel at whatever she does.”
No matter what that may be, Fernandez Bermejo said she knows UMSL will continue to be there providing support.
“They don’t just stop with your education,” she said. “Once you leave campus, they’re not done with you. You become part of this whole alumni network.”
What began at UMSL as a one-year study abroad experience ultimately reshaped Fernandez Bermejo’s future, turning an uncertain student from Madrid into an award-winning MBA graduate preparing to launch an international business career from St. Louis.
