SBS Blog > Teamwork makes the dream work by Tiger Garcia

Teamwork makes the dream work

By Tiger Garcia - Posted on 3 March 2022

MSc Financial Technology student Tiger Garcia shares how his love of sports showed him how teamwork can help with his studies and get involved in the local community.

During university - I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Managerial Economics in the United States at the University of California, Davis - my academic advisor recommended that I apply for international scholarships to study in the United Kingdom.

I researched programmes and the University of Strathclyde stood out immediately for creating the first MSc in Financial Technology and was ranked as the #1 Accounting and Finance School in the UK (Complete University Guide, Sunday Times Good University Guide). The crucial element was paying for my higher education and that was answered in the form of the Fulbright Postgraduate Programme. This programme was created to strengthen relations between the United States and the United Kingdom after World War 2.

I applied for this $55,000 Fulbright scholarship and won! My role now as a Fulbright Scholar is to be an ambassador for the United States in the United Kingdom while pursuing my higher education. The best way to serve in my new position has been through following my passions: sports, academics, and faith.

During my undergraduate, I competed in Division-1 American Football as a Defensive Back. Naturally, I missed having a team around me. As soon as I arrived on campus in Scotland, I tried out for Strathclyde Men’s Basketball and made the team. Now I host my teammates for dinner on a weekly basis and we’re growing stronger bonds through the platform of sport. I love competing for the University of Strathclyde because of the friends I’ve made, the state-of-the-art sporting facilities, and the exciting games. I highly recommend joining a team for anyone that’s interested - Strathclyde offers a plethora of options.

When I’m not on the court, I’m in the business school studying with my classmates. After university, I worked in Silicon Valley as a Finance Associate at Apple and then in Portfolio Management for Penserra, a boutique asset management firm - my team oversaw the exchange traded funds for large investment firms – so I was keen to continue on the financial path and I opted for the MSc in Financial Technology.

It’s a challenging programme, but well worth it. You get skills in Programming, Big Data Analytics, Machine Learning, Financial Principles, Portfolio Theory & Management, and Banking. My cohort is extremely diverse and this MSc is teaching me how to interact with different cultures from around the world. Learning how to interact with people from different backgrounds is one of the most valuable elements of this masters. Once classes began, I stepped into the position of Programme Representative to our cohort. I’ve organised weekly coffee networking sessions for us to build connections that will last long after our studies.

I’ve also been able to serve in my role as Fulbright Scholar in my local community. I started going to a nearby church and now serve on the hospitality team. It’s been great to help people from Glasgow and meet more fellow Strathclyde students on Sundays. I’ve also started coaching secondary school kids in American Football at a local club. I want to invest in youth the way people invested in me.

My life in Scotland, and specifically Glasgow, is a dream come true thanks to all these people and the activities that the university provides. My advice to anyone who wants to balance academics, sports, health, friendships, and extracurriculars is to get organised: schedule out your week, get the sleep you need (I aim for 8-9 hours), and set boundaries for when you will work (protect those Friday & Saturday nights). At Strathclyde Business School, you can have it all!