After high school, Edson Bueno took several years off, slowly chipping away at his degree. 
“I saw the University of Massachusetts Boston and I thought, [this is] a great platform to get a world class education, meet students from around the world, and [it’s] affordable. I financed my own degree.” 
When he first started at UMB, Bueno worked at Trader Joe’s, a job he loved but didn’t offer much in mobility. 
“The professors at UMass give immense support for those working and going to school at the same time, without sacrificing quality in education and expectations. They understood we’re all working students.” 
On campus, Bueno joined the Mass Media as the Business Manager, collecting ads and helping with the background administrative work. Soon he became the Managing Editor, and collected a small salary. 
“You may think that the students have lots of time, but in actuality, if you’re a working student, your time is your most valuable asset. I thought it was more productive to step out of the classroom and go into work at the university setting.”
Working on campus became a business calculation for Bueno, offering him the opportunity to grow his network and visibility within the university. Bueno handled the student newspaper’s finances and printing logistics. 
“There was a lot of opportunity to tighten things up in terms of cost and waste and efficiency. With guidance from the previous business manager, Donna [Neal, Assistant Director of Student Activities], and Shelby [Harris, Assistant Dean of Students]. I had no idea how to do it, but I got to figure it out.” 
He also dabbled in photography and published a photo essay in LUX (the Honors Program magazine at the time). He loved working in the Student Media offices. 
“It’s great that that university had that amenity. [It was] a good working space not only to get your work done, but also to transition after work is done for the day, to ultimately study.”
The campus became Bueno’s second home. 
“There’s a swimming pool. There’s a gym. Why would I trek all the way back [home] when I pay for a gym membership already rolled into cost [of admission]? All the resources that I needed at the time were there, so I though, ‘why would I leave?'”
“It was a phenomenal experience, and I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity.” 
At the Mass Media, Bueno also found kindred spirits who enjoyed his company.
“All the shared experiences I had were amazing, whether it was going to the media conferences and learning something, or late nights trying to get the print off to our printer, and making that tough decision to call it. You’re not editing anymore. It’s midnight. They need this. Send it off. Making that decision, and really holding firm because a lot of people there were perfectionists. They wanted to make sure everything was set because their name was on it.” 
As far as classes, Bueno has a hard time naming one favorite. 
“All of the classes left a mark,” he says. ”International Trade, and International Finance are classes that I still refer to, and it’s surprising. It’s so basic, but to apply that knowledge and share it with people; it’s a strong credibility factor. Are you a credible banker? Do you know these fundamentals?” 
Since graduation, Bueno has been working in wealth management at a small San Francisco-based bank with a Back Bay location. 
“I can help people. For me, that’s the big thing,” he says. “It’s fun, very challenging, and there’s always a lot of new stuff to learn.” 
“I wasn’t a super star academic, but at the same time it was like, ‘wow, this is so fascinating: learning about the currency crisis or how interest rates effect bond yields. In classes from Janis Kapler and Adugna Lemi, I leaned key things.” 
Bueno cultivated a loose study group based on people that took the same classes, semester after semester. 
“They would make a point to have a study session to make sure all could do well on the exam, make sure all understood the material. I think, in that sense, it was easy because they weren’t there just for the paper. They were there because they were actually interested in it, and they were interested in actually doing well. Having that collaborative effort and platform to be able to study with other students made it so much easier.” 
“There’s so much opportunity for the University to keep growing. [It is a] phenomenal institution, and there is no hesitation in letting people know I went there. That’s my university. That’s my alma mater.” 
Bueno says UMB can be whatever you make of it. If you put a lot in, you can get a lot out. 
“The return in terms of relationship and monetary currency are pretty good,” he says. “Overall, it’s a positive experience, and I guess a humbling experience too. Because we’re in a university college town – and it’s a state school – it shouldn’t be a fall back university. It should be a first choice.”