Nilsa Maricel Mármol Paulino is a Dominican who immigrated to Madrid, Spain in 2007, only wanting to specialize in business. But almost 15 years later he continues in the Spanish capital, now transmit knowledge to the public who received him and, in a special way, to those who came with the same dream from where he was born.

Recipient of a state scholarship, he went to the city known as “Villa y Corte” to pursue a Master’s degree in Management and Business Administration or MBA, as it is known by its English abbreviation.

dream come true

Since before completing her degree, Nilsa Maricel had a concern for the experience of studying abroad.

“I’ve always had the desire to go abroad to study, to live experiences; I even searched in several Latin American countries, even in England, to prepare myself and study abroad”, he admits with a twinkle in his eye as he recalls the dream of his youth.

Language was one of the reasons why he chose Spain, apart from the fact that at that time for him the right country to acquire knowledge cutting-edge business management.

“Change in the beginning is always difficult, let alone adapting by abandoning what you already know, face a world of uncertainty”, he remembered his arrival in Spain when he was only 25 years old.

Her sister, a dentist, had been there for several months doing her specialty and accepting it, made the new burden of living away from home a little lighter.

passion for business

Business and commerce have always been his passion, inherited from his parents, two Cibaeños with an entrepreneurial spirit who dedicated themselves to sales and founded several family businesses in Santo Domingo.

Nilsa graduated in business administration, which means a plus from her previous experience collaborating in her parents’ business.

“From a very young age I have worked with my father. On weekends I go to the family business for work, I have had my salary and responsibilities since I was 15”, she recounts.

Then, in his college years, he arranges excursions and hotels with his friends, which means “another stage of entrepreneurship” in his life, after which, with a laugh, he calls his childhood business.

“If he goes out for walks, the beach or the river, he will pick up a stone and then paint it at home with his sister, we will display it in front of the house and the friends are happy and buy it,” he said.

active mother

Several job opportunities saw him live in a villa called villa del oso y del madroño, where in recent years he has worked in marketing and human resources, but he has also followed in his parents’ footsteps and has been done in the family.

Nilsa said that shortly after completing her master’s degree, she married and started a family of five, consisting of her and her husband, another passionate about business, and three young children aged 7, 5 and 3.

He described the business dynamics of the pair as challenging, especially during the pandemic years. However, he stated that, even though they “work 24/7” and the routine becomes frenzied, they enjoy what they are doing.

Both are looking for how they can generate income for the family that will combine their passion. The spark of desire to practice was ignited after the publication of a book written by her husband and, after years of preparation, in 2017 she founded a business-focused higher education institution with her partner.

“How do we do that with all our knowledge, with all our studies and so on, being able to influence society in a positive way and leave a legacy?” He said they asked themselves and the answer was higher education for managers, people dedicated to business decision making.

Knowledge to serve your country

So was born Institute of Conscious Management (CMI School of Business)cataloged as the first business school in Spain to specialize in sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility, where 28% of the students are Dominicans.

Nilsa thinks that is reinvesting in the Dominican Republic what the country has invested in it and preparation. Some of these students have arrived thanks to scholarships, both from the Dominican State and from the institution itself, which highlights have been awarded to all kinds of profiles, should one have any doubts while applying.

“There are students with academic excellence and students with low resources who, even living in remote places, have accessed this opportunity,” Nilsa pointed out.

In addition to the entity’s own scholarship program, he encourages young Dominicans to participate in the call you are making government through its scholarship portal, which offers the institution as a part.

“Don’t stop, chase your dreams”

Mármol also encourages them not to stop, to pursue their dreams and to prepare themselves, dedicate time to learning the language and “to they are shaped by all the opportunities that life offers them.”.

“The most I can encourage young people is to push themselves to practice, not to stop learning, to take advantage of the years where you have more opportunities and more free time to invest in your training, because in the long term and throughout your life you will see the results”, says who is also a teacher at the institute she co-founded with her husband.

This project was very beneficial for both of them, especially when seeing how the student’s life changed because he got his dream job or succeeded in acquiring the skills and tools offered in the center’s training program.

“my beloved homeland”

Although he has not returned to settle on the Caribbean island where he was born, he returns to the season to make deals or deals, take vacations and visit his esteemed relatives with his family, because for him it is very important that your little ones know their culture and consider it, that they are part of it.

For Nilsa, the pride of being a Dominican is such that she feels like an ambassador for her country wherever she goes. “This is and will always be a homeland that I admire and dream of,” he said.