From au pair to an MBA in Washington: Laura Montes' experience at University of the Potomac

When Laura Montes first arrived in the United States, pursuing an MBA in Washington was not yet the plan. She had studied Mechanical Engineering in Colombia and spent around two years working in research, but she came to the U.S. as an au pair with a much simpler goal: improve her English and experience life in another country. Over time, living in Virginia made her reconsider what could come next and brought back an idea she had already been thinking about for years: pursuing a master's degree.

From Ibagué, Colombia to Virginia, USA

Laura studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Ibagué, in her hometown in central Colombia. After graduating and working in research, she decided to move to the United States through the au pair program, which gave her the opportunity to live with a host family while improving her English through everyday life.

“I came as an au pair just to learn English, and then I kind of fell in love with Virginia.” The move was never originally meant to become a direct path to graduate school, but as Laura became more comfortable living in the U.S., the possibility of staying to study began to feel more realistic. The idea of doing a master's degree itself was not new. What she had not figured out was where she could do it and how she could make it financially possible.

“I always knew I wanted to do a master's,” she says. “I thought it was something I couldn't afford in Colombia, and then I started looking here and thought, well, I guess I can't afford it here either, until I found this opportunity.”

Finding an MBA that made sense

Laura first heard about University of the Potomac through friends who were already studying there. As she compared options in Virginia and the Washington area, affordability became one of the main reasons the university stood out, but the MBA itself also fit the direction she wanted to take professionally.

“Some friends studied there and recommended the university to me. The price was pretty good for international students compared with other colleges around Virginia, so it felt like a good opportunity.”

Her background was technical, but she had become increasingly interested in project-based work and wanted a degree that could complement her engineering experience rather than replace it. “I'm an engineer, but I like working on projects. Then I saw they had the MBA and thought it was the perfect opportunity.”

By then, Laura had also spent enough time in Virginia to know that she wanted to remain in the area. The decision to enroll at Potomac brought together several things that mattered to her at once: a program aligned with her professional interests, a cost she considered more manageable than other options she had researched, and the possibility of continuing to build the life she had already started in the Washington region.

From au pair to international student

Laura began preparing for the transition about three months before her au pair program ended. She first applied to University of the Potomac and, after being admitted, received the I-20 she needed to move forward with her request to change status in the United States.

“About three months before I finished my au pair program, I started the change-of-status process. I applied to the university, they gave me the I-20, and after that I applied with USCIS. You send the paperwork and then you wait.”

Cost had already shaped Laura's university search, but the financial side of becoming an international student went beyond tuition. Part of the process required her to show that she had enough financial support to pursue her studies, which meant finding someone who could act as a financial sponsor.

For Laura, securing that support became another part of the transition she had to solve alongside admission and the change-of-status process. It was a reminder that studying in the United States involves several decisions happening at the same time: choosing a program, figuring out how to pay for it, gathering the required documentation and making sure each step is completed early enough for the next one to happen.

While the immigration side required patience, Laura remembers the university admission process very differently. She was surprised by how quickly Potomac moved, particularly because receiving the I-20 allowed her to begin the next part of the process without losing additional time.

She also remembers the staff as one of the things that made the transition easier. Moving from an au pair program into graduate school meant learning a new set of procedures at the same time she was trying to understand how the university worked, and having people available to answer questions made a difference. “They're all pretty friendly and open to helping you with whatever you need.”

Working on campus while pursuing the MBA

After starting the MBA, Laura also began working in student services on campus. The role gave her some financial support toward her studies, but she values it just as much for the access it gave her to the university community beyond the classroom.

“That helps with tuition, which as an international student is a huge thing, at least for me. It also opens opportunities for you. You get to build a network, meet people and get involved in other things.”

Working on campus also changed her relationship with the university. Instead of only attending class and leaving, she became more involved in the everyday life of the institution and started meeting people she might not otherwise have encountered through her MBA courses alone. That sense of community became one of the parts of the experience she values most.

Studying with people from around the world

Laura's classmates come from different countries and backgrounds, and some of the friendships she has built have exposed her to cultures she had little contact with before moving to the United States. “I've met a lot of friends, and many of them are from Arabic cultures, so now I'm even learning some Arabic, which is kind of crazy. Getting to know other cultures is amazing.”

Academically, one of her favorite classes so far has been Ethics, partly because it goes beyond business concepts and focuses on how people make decisions and behave. “It's a lot of reading, but it's also about understanding how people behave.”

English, which had been one of the original reasons she moved to the U.S. as an au pair, also became easier once she was immersed in graduate school. “At first it's hard, but after the first semester you get used to it.”

What she wishes she had known earlier

When Laura thinks about what she would tell someone preparing for the same move, she starts with English but quickly moves to the practical parts of daily life that she had to learn after arriving.

“Speak English before coming, unless you're coming specifically to study English. Learn how taxes work, how insurance works, how life here really works, the basic things. And be open to meeting people and making friends.”

Laura's path in the United States did not begin with a graduate school application. It started with a decision to spend time abroad and improve her English, and then evolved as new possibilities became visible. The au pair experience led to a university search, the university search led to an MBA, and the MBA has given her a chance to combine her engineering background with a growing interest in projects, management and business.

When asked to describe University of the Potomac in three words, Laura only needed one: “Opportunity.”