Passport To Evanston: Meet Kellogg’s Exchange Students
- Cathy Campo
- 6 hours ago
- 4 min read
By: Vidhur Potluri, Kelloggian First-Year Director
How do you make the most of your time at Kellogg? Perhaps no one can answer this better than the exchange students who have no more than a quarter to make this place their own.
Every year, students from business schools around the world come to Evanston for just ten short weeks—long enough to form lasting connections, but short enough to make every moment count. In that time, they dive headfirst into new ideas, global perspectives, and the uniquely collaborative culture that defines Kellogg.
This fall, I sat down with three exchange students who have managed to do it all and their stories capture what it truly means to make the most of Kellogg.
Manuel Clavel For Manuel, a second-year MBA student from IESE Business School in Barcelona, the decision to spend his exchange at Kellogg rather than Booth (bleh) "was a tough choice,” he admitted. “But once I started doing some digging into the programs and speaking with students, I realized that for several reasons, I would like Kellogg more than Booth.”
As he put it: “My friends that studied here always mention that people here are just nicer. It’s more fun, it’s more engaging.” Since arriving, he’s found that to be true—“Just in the first two weeks, I went on a run with several classmates, and those same people invited me over for dinner… people’s proactiveness to get you involved has been very surprising—wonderful, in a way.”
Outside class, Manuel’s been making the most of Chicago’s fall weather. “As soon as I got here, I bought a road bike. One day I took it all the way down to Jackson Park—about 40 or 50 miles round-trip. It was a cool way of approaching the skyline and seeing the city change as you ride.” The lakefront trail, he says, has become one of his favorite parts of campus life: “When you’re walking and you see the skyline, the people windsurfing, someone running, someone doing a barbecue—I love that. If I could, I’d dig it up and bring it back home. I don’t know where I’d drop it, but I would.”
As for the most American thing he’s done so far? Manuel grinned. “I went to Cracker Barrel. They rebranded recently, and it backfired—but honestly, all they need is a Sydney Sweeney ad.”
When asked to describe his Kellogg journey as a movie, he said Ferris Bueller’s Day Off—“not because I’m skipping class,” he laughed, “but because I love Ferris’s attitude of making the most of life and doing so in Chicago. As he [Ferris] rightly says: ‘Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.’”
Jingxuan Liu
A second-year MBA student at the China Europe International Business School in Shanghai, Jingxuan always knew he wanted to spend part of his MBA in the United States. “I wanted to come to the U.S. because I think business education here is very good,” he said. “I heard from my professors that a lot of the cases are actually from Kellogg.” The decision became even more personal when a close friend graduated from Kellogg’s MBA program last year, a connection that made Evanston feel a little more familiar.
Since arriving, Jingxuan has found both Evanston and Kellogg to be exactly what he imagined. “Evanston is a lovely place,” he said. “We have the lake view, it’s very safe, and people here are very nice.” He’s also been struck by the professionalism of his professors. “They always start and end class on time,” he laughed.
What stands out most for Jingxuan is the diversity of people and perspectives he’s encountered. “Every conversation, he says, feels like a window into a different world,” he said —a reminder of “just how much life and perspective this place holds.”
Esteban Hernández Tamés
For Esteban, a second-year MBA student from IPADE Business School in Mexico City, Kellogg wasn’t a choice—it was the goal.“I knew I wanted to come here before I started my MBA,” he said. “It was tough because there was only one spot, and they grade us on a curve, but everything aligned.”
Since arriving, Esteban has found Kellogg to be refreshingly different from his home program. “I’m surprised at how relaxed everyone is,” he said. “Everyone is pretty chill, pretty nice.” Coming from a case-method environment where students are graded on a curve, he’s appreciated the chance to slow down, meet people, and focus less on competition.
Outside the classroom, he’s been fully embracing Chicago’s sports scene. “I’m really into sports and this is a very big sports city. I wanted to experience the whole thing.” He’s already checked off games for the Cubs, White Sox, Blackhawks, and Chicago Sky, and already has tickets for the Bulls and Bears. “I’m going to see the Bears in November, which I’m very afraid of because of the weather,” he laughed, “But you gotta do it!”
Among his favorite Kellogg memories, one stands out far above the rest. “I actually got engaged here,” he said, smiling. “My fiancée came with me for the first month, and we picked out the ring together in downtown Chicago. Then two Saturdays ago, we went to the beach, we’d been there before for a picnic—and that’s where I proposed. The idea was kind of to make this trip even more memorable than it’s already going to be.”
A Quarter to Call Home
After hearing their stories, one thing becomes clear: making the most of Kellogg isn’t about how long you’re here, but how deeply you choose to engage (or whether you actually get engaged!). Opportunities to connect are everywhere: in the Hub, classrooms, clubs, walks by the lake, and late-night conversations. In just a few weeks, these students have built skills, connections and memories that will stay with them long after they leave Evanston.
After meeting these wonderful people who’ve chosen to call Kellogg home—even if just for a few months—I can say with confidence, I made the right choice in coming to Kellogg. Read about more Kellogg students: Isabelle Hofgaertner, Former Nike Intern
Comments