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After graduating, Natalie moved to Denver and began what would become an international business career. She had a colorful start selling satellite systems in Africa at times for cash delivered in suitcases and went on to work on poli­cy issues related to import-export, and then, to work for a small company with business in South America and Europe. She eventually moved to Utah, where she oversaw sales in an area spanning from Japan to Australia. “I came to MIIS be­cause I wanted an international business career, and that’s what I got!” she says.

Like Natalie, who was born and par­tially raised in Morocco and went to el­ementary school in South Africa before moving to the United States, her five close friends from the Institute all had ei­ther been raised outside the U.S. or lived abroad. Some roomed together in Monte­rey while others connected through class projects and social activities. In addition to Natalie (whose maiden name is Sanders), the group includes Tori Ortiz (Peters) MBA ’86, Michele Young (Grau) MBA ’86, Estela Macedo (Munoz) MBA ’86, Marianne Le­Tart (Segebrecht) MBA ’86, and Marlene Van (Bellone) MBA ’86.

“I just think MIIS in general brought students together whose international perspectives created a lot of camarade­rie,” Natalie says, adding that other MIIS friends sometimes join their gatherings and stay in contact.

Next year will mark the 30th anni­versary of their graduation and the plan, fittingly, is to celebrate that milestone in Monterey.