First Generation Filipino MBA Student Thrives in Marketing Industry

Q & A with MBA Student, Rinna Pera

Rinna Pera, MBA student at San Diego State University.

After finishing her undergraduate degree at Sacramento State University, Rinna Pera decided to pursue her MBA at San Diego State University while continuing her work as a marketer in the technology industry. Her undergraduate experience allowed her to get involved on campus, jump out of her comfort zone, and grow both professionally and personally. Pera reflects on her SDSU experience, career journey, and the significant influence of her Filipino background. 

Name: Rinna Pera

Graduate Degree: Masters of Business Administration

Graduation Year: Spring 2023

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Q: Can you describe a little bit about yourself and how/when you decided to attend SDSU to obtain an MBA?

My name is Rinna Pera, a marketing techie during the day, a student at night, and a Muay Thai fighter during any available time in between. I am currently an MBA candidate at the Fowler College of Business and am a first generation Filipino American college student from the San Francisco Bay Area. I am a marketer and have worked in the technology industry for a digital asset management company called Bynder over the past four years. Prior to starting my career, I obtained my undergraduate degree in Business Administration with a Concentration in Marketing from Sacramento State University. During my time in undergrad, I held a lot of internships in different industries spanning from nonprofit, media, consulting, and insurance. Through these work experiences I was exposed to different types of leadership, strategies, and most importantly people! The people I’ve networked with throughout my career path have influenced me to strive for new opportunities and entering roles that I’ve never considered. As a Filipino American, the typical career route that was pursued was nursing. The business route was often deemed as too risky, however through mentorship and the pursuit of intelligence I was confident that I wanted to continue my business and marketing career. 

Q: Briefly share what makes your story unique and how your time at SDSU has influenced your journey personally and/or professionally. 

I am a full time MBA student, while also working for a tech company based out of Silicon Valley. There are A LOT of people who work jobs while also enrolled in the MBA program, professors and group members have always been supportive while trying to balance both aspects. However, the key has been to manage time to the best of my abilities in order to succeed. 

Pera and fellow Bynder employees at the Salesforce's Dreamforce 2022.

Q: What advice do you have for SDSU students wanting to succeed after graduation?

Start your career search early, don’t wait until after you graduate to start looking for a job or internship. Rejection is normal, but it builds character, and honestly the more rejections you face, the better success will taste when you finally achieve it. I was rejected from dozens of companies, and I would let it eat at my self esteem, but after a while I came to realize that this was part of my development as a person. I am in a good place with my career and ambition, which all would not have been possible without trials and tribulations. 

Q: What advice do you have for current SDSU students (graduate or undergraduate) to make the most out of their time at college?

Join clubs, organizations, try something new and jump out of your comfort zone! College is the only time where you can look back at your mistakes and say “well everyone was inexperienced in college”, and it’s true, everyone was really inexperienced in college. I had some of the best experiences of my life while I was attending Sacramento State, and those experiences wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t jump out of my comfort zone and try new things. I hate being uncomfortable, but uncomfortability teaches you more than comfort ever will, and most of the time it’s a lot more fun.  

Q: What has your professional journey been like after graduating from college?

After graduating college, I immediately started my career search where I landed at a small smart up in the Bay Area. There were a lot of moments where I questioned if I was going down the right career path, and considered pivoting to another role. However, as I built resiliency I learned how to quickly adapt and be comfortable but challenged simultaneously. 

Q: When you’re not working how do you like to spend your free time? Please share about any hobbies or interests that you may have.

When I am not glued to my desk or in the Love Library, you can often find me at Premier Fight and Fitness, a San Diego based martial arts gym. I have been practicing Muay Thai for the past seven years, and have traveled to Thailand multiple times to immerse myself in the technique and culture. Outside of working out, I love to listen to music (My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy will always be the best album of all time) and podcasts (true crime!), and trying different types of food and exploring San Diego. I spent most of my life in Northern California, so San Diego has been a whole new world to me. Being able to jump out of my comfort zone and explore the area and try new experiences has been new and amazing. 

Rinna and her family (Rhea Pera, Allan Pera, Regina Pera, and Alberto Pera) in 1997.

Q: What does Filipino Heritage Month mean to you?

I am a Filipino American who grew up in Daly City, a predominantly Filipino based community in the San Francisco Bay Area. I did not grow up speaking/understanding Tagalog or native dialects. However, I grew up watching my grandma cook traditional Ilocano dishes in the kitchen, sitting at the dining table with my aunts telling me stories of trying to acquire the newest American vinyls, and learning the true value of the American dream by watching my parents chase and attain everything they dreamed of from the day they entered the United States. These memories and beliefs have been the driving motivation in my everyday life to strive for success and have impacted my career and character development.

Filipino Heritage Month means family and tradition. While I was raised in the United States, the Filipino culture is something I carry with myself everyday through rich history and beliefs. Filipino Heritage month is a time where I am able to truly reflect on the impact of my historical culture into who I am as a person and the overall American community. Being Filipino American means resiliency, the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness. I am a first generation Filipino American woman, college student, in the technology industry, pursuing a graduate degree– resiliency is in my DNA and I attribute it to my family and heritage. 

Q: What advice do you have for SDSU students wanting to connect with Filipino or cultural communities on campus or in San Diego?

While I am not directly involved in SDSU’s student organizations, I highly recommend joining Filipinx organizations offered on campus. While I was pursuing my undergrad, I was heavily involved with the Fil-Am orgs at Sacramento State including the Filipino club and joining a Filipina Interest sorority (Kappa Psi Epsilon). Through these organizations I was able to connect with my culture on a personal scale and connect with people who have similar experiences and beliefs.

My favorite way of cultural immersion and sharing my Filipino heritage with others is through food and supporting small businesses, here are some of my favorite local businesses with Filipino influence and dishes!

• Premier Fight and Fitness
• Pacific Roots Muay Thai 
• Stella Jean's Ice Cream (the ube pan de sal is my favorite!)
• Tita’s Kitchenette 
• Starbread