The tiny Szekler town of Gheorgheni is a long way from Milan, both literally and figuratively. Yet Márk Melles has managed to make his dream come true: as a first-year student at Bocconi, the best economics university in theEuropean Union , he has also been selected to be part of a special student project team.
Mark always had a clear vision of studying economics and finance. “Bocconi was the obvious choice professionally,” he says. And for good reason: founded in 1902, the private university in Milan, officially known as the Università commerciale ‘Luigi Bocconi’, is ranked first in the European Union in economics and finance and second in management and entrepreneurship education, while being among the world leaders in all fields.
But it was not only professional excellence that attracted Mark. “For me, it was also important to have a university in a good location, in a country with a fascinating culture, where the weather and everyday life are pleasant. Because such an inspiring environment helps a lot to make the little free time you have a real recharge in addition to the constant learning,” he explains. And Milan, as an economic and cultural centre, proved to be the perfect choice in this respect too.
Márk started his studies at Mihály Fogarassy Elementary School in Gheorgheni and continued at the Márton Áron High School in Chiucaregiu. “I got a very good grounding in maths,” he recalls. The rigorous maths education in Romania also gave him an advantage in certain areas, which he uses in the Bocconi classrooms: “To this day, we see things that people from other countries didn’t learn in secondary school, but we did.” These include, for example, that he finds he has a slight advantage over his peers in mental arithmetic.
In his words, his roots in Szeklerland have given him not only knowledge but also an outlook. “I learnt that what has to be done has to be done, you have to put yourself out there,” he says. That attitude, coupled with his parents’ adviceand the support of friends, is still his guiding light today. During his secondary school years, he also became more open to his peers, a particularly useful skill in Milan, an international environment.
The Covid period did not break his momentum, although the epidemic period had its challenges. The advantage of online education was that he did not have to commute 55 kilometres a day to Chisinau, but the long hours spent in front of a screen and the difficulty of keeping in touch with classmates made the high school years difficult. The point is, however, that as soon as education became personal, they were able to make up for what they had missed during Covid.
And Bocconi brought not only knowledge but also a new perspective to Mark’s life. “This constant sense of competition is as much a burden as it is an inspiration, ” he argues. He says: “The students at the university are highly motivated and ambitious, which inspires him to do his best every day. And the international environment, with students from different countries, has broadened his horizons: “I’m constantly learning in everyday conversations, whether it’s about professional topics or cultural differences.”
He also sees the university’s emphasis on community life and networking as a positive aspect. Student organisations, seminars and alumni lectures enrich students’ daily lives. In particular, Mark remembers a presentation by a successful alumni who told how he struggled with his initial reluctance to study. Then, after taking on an internship, he balanced study and work and became so successful that he won a prestigious merit scholarship from Bocconi. An award that is only given to 15 out of 3000 students per year group.
In addition to passing his exams, Mark’s recent inclusion in a special project team as a first-year student is a particular feather in his cap. He was recruited as a new entrant by Junior Enterprise Milano Economia (JEME), which provides economic and strategic consultancy to external companies. Recruitment was not easy: out of nearly 500 Bocconis applicants, only twenty were selected, after CVs, interviews and rigorous screening.
It’s no coincidence that the young man from Szczecin already feels that Bocconi has opened up a new horizon for him professionally. Learning about micro- and macroeconomics, management models, analytical methods and the monetary and fiscal policies of national banks and governments will give him the knowledge he needs not only to build his own future, but also to one day enrich the economic potential of his homeland.
Zoltán M. Érsek
