Even more impressively, Rasquinha did it while playing an active role in numerous organizations and activities, particularly the Leadership Communication Studio (LCS). As a member of the LCS Case Association, she competed as part of a team in over 30 case competitions during her time at Krannert and served as a senior consultant for the student-led organization.
In March 2017, she and her MBA teammates won first-place at the prestigious Big 10+ Case Competition at Ohio State’s Fisher College of Business, where Rasquinha also earned honors as Best Presenter. In November 2017, Rasquinha and a team of master’s students representing Krannert’s Business Information and Analytics Center (BIAC) at the annual IT/Analytics Case Competition, which rotates each year between Purdue and Indiana University, took home a first-place prize of $2,000 from IU’s Kelley School of Business two years in a row.
Rasquinha says the recipe for her success in such events includes numerous ingredients, beginning with Krannert’s growing focus on business analytics and ongoing commitment to ensure that what students learn in the classroom can be applied experientially in a real-world setting.
“Case competitions are like miniature internships that allow you to work in different industries for a few hours or days,” she says. “These experiences develop transferable skills in data analysis, communication, optimization, teamwork and quick thinking that can be used in any business occupation.”
Rasquinha also completed multiple internships as both an undergraduate and MBA student, including a stint at Northwestern Mutual in summer 2015 and as a supply systems analyst at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in summer 2016. She also served as a demand planning manager intern at TVS Motors in spring 2017 through Krannert’s Global Supply Chain Management Initiative (GSCMI) before starting another internship at REI in IT strategic planning over the summer.
“Every internship and every case competition taught me something new and added to my portfolio of skills,” she says.
More than anything, however, Rasquinha prizes the sense of community she found at Krannert. “As an out-of-state student, I came here knowing no one and found a second family,” she says. “It’s helped me grow as a person and learn to embrace diverse cultures and different ways of thinking.”
Even as Rasquinha prepares to meet her next climb at Accenture, her competitive spirt continues to push her to set loftier goals and reach new heights. After training for months to qualify — and less than two weeks before May commencement — she was invited to test on-set in Indianapolis for American Ninja Warrior, the popular NBC obstacle course series.
Although those who were selected to test won’t participate in the upcoming summer season, they gained experience practicing in front of a standing-room only crowd and an advantage to apply as a competitor in future installments — an opportunity Rasquinha has every intention of pursuing.
“I like to challenge both my mind and my body, to push myself harder and reach higher,” she says. “And I love to discover what I can accomplish.”
