Set against the immediacy of London’s financial ecosystem, Camila Torrealba, MIFFT2026, reflects on how the Masters in Finance (MiF) has become not just an academic programme but a lens through which to examine growth: professional, personal, and intellectual.
In this Student Spotlight, Camila elucidates her first eight months in the full-time programme. From choosing discomfort and finding confidence, to discovering that some of the most lasting lessons emerge not in lectures alone, but in conversations, the city itself, and moments of unexpected calm.
What inspired you to pursue the Masters in Finance at London Business School?
For me, pursuing the MiF at London Business School was about much more than academics. It was about stepping into a completely new chapter and seeing how much I could grow by placing myself outside everything familiar. I wanted the experience of living in another country, learning from people with very different perspectives, and being part of a community that would challenge me in the best possible way.
London also made the decision feel especially exciting. Finance feels very real here. You are constantly surrounded by the conversations, industries, and energy that shape it, and that gives the whole experience a special sense of immediacy. When I combined that with LBS’s reputation and the strength of the MiF, it felt like the right place to challenge myself, broaden my perspective, and grow both personally and professionally.
What has been a defining challenge so far? What has it revealed about you?
One of the most defining challenges has been learning to choose discomfort more often. That has shown up academically, of course, but also in many smaller and more personal ways: speaking up more, saying yes to opportunities that feel unfamiliar, and allowing myself to step forward before I feel completely ready.
What this experience has revealed to me is how much we can grow when we stop waiting to feel perfectly prepared. Some of the moments that seemed most intimidating at first have become among the most meaningful and rewarding. This year has reminded me that confidence is not always something you begin with. Very often, it is something you build by showing up, trying anyway, and surprising yourself along the way.
How would you describe the academic intensity of the MiF programme compared with your previous studies?
What makes the MiF especially intense is not just the workload, but the pace and quality of the environment around you. Because so many students bring prior professional experience, classroom discussions move quickly and often become much richer than a purely theoretical conversation. You are constantly encouraged to connect the material not only to markets and companies, but also to the broader context in which financial decisions are made.
That is what makes the programme so stimulating. You are not simply learning concepts in isolation; you are constantly seeing how differently intelligent people approach the same problem. The diversity of perspectives in the classroom makes the experience more demanding, but also far more rewarding. It pushes you to think with more depth, more flexibility, and more humility.
How does the workload and difficulty of electives in Term 2 compare to core courses in Term 1?
The first term feels very intentionally designed to build a strong common foundation. Since everyone comes from different academic and professional backgrounds, the core courses help create a shared framework before the programme opens up into more specialised areas.
What I have loved about the second term is that it feels more personal. The workload is not necessarily heavier, but it becomes more closely tied to your own interests and the areas you are genuinely curious about. There is something very energising about reaching the point where your academic choices start to reflect the kind of questions you want to keep exploring beyond the classroom.
What advice would you give to a prospective candidate looking to relocate to London?
I would say: arrive with curiosity, openness, and a little patience with yourself. London can feel overwhelming at first because it moves quickly and offers so much all at once, but that is also part of what makes it such an exciting city to live in. Over time, it starts to reveal itself in ways you do not expect.
My advice would be not to rush into making the city feel familiar. Explore different neighbourhoods, say yes to spontaneous plans, and make the most of how international life here is. Some of the most memorable parts of the experience come from the things you never planned: a conversation after class, a dinner that runs late, a new favourite place you discover by accident. Little by little, the city begins to feel like your own.
Is there a spot in London that has become special to you?
Regent’s Park has become one of the places I feel most attached to. Since moving to London, one of my favourite rituals has been going there for a morning walk with a coffee, sometimes alone and sometimes with friends. It is such a simple thing, but in the middle of a busy and intense year, it has become a small moment of calm.
Especially after winter, when the sun starts to come back and everything feels a little softer, those walks have become even more special. They remind me that not all the best parts of this experience are the big or obvious ones. Sometimes the most meaningful moments are the quiet ones that give you space to enjoy where you are.
Who is someone in the LBS community who has quietly influenced you?
I think the people who have most quietly influenced me are my friends at LBS. There is something very powerful about being surrounded by people who are thoughtful, ambitious, and constantly challenging themselves. That kind of energy naturally shapes you, too.
What has made the biggest difference is not one specific moment, but the accumulation of everyday conversations, shared routines, honest reflections, and the support that comes from going through such an intense experience together. I have been very lucky to build friendships that formed almost immediately and that I know I will carry with me long after the programme ends. A special mention goes to Valentina Rodriguez, who has been one of my biggest sources of support throughout this year.
What is something about you that your classmates would be surprised to know?
Something that might surprise people is that, although I can come across as outgoing, confidence is still something I build very consciously. Public speaking, especially in English and in front of large audiences, used to make me very nervous.
Being part of the Executive Committee for the MultipleX conference pushed me to face that fear very directly, including speaking in front of more than one hundred people. It ended up becoming one of the most rewarding experiences of the programme for me. More than anything, it reminded me that growth often happens when you step into spaces that once felt slightly beyond you, and then realise they were never as far away as you thought.
If you achieved financial freedom tomorrow, what job would you choose to do, and why?
It is a difficult question because I genuinely enjoy the kind of work I have done so far. I have always been drawn to investing and to understanding how businesses create value over time. More recently, consulting has also given me a different perspective that I find very intellectually engaging.
At the same time, if money were no longer a consideration at all, I think I would allow myself to follow curiosity and enjoyment a little more freely. I would definitely spend more time playing golf, which has always been one of my favourite sports. There is something very special about devoting time to something simply because you love the process of improving at it, with no other reason needed.
What question would you like to ask the next MiF Spotlight Student?
What is one unexpected way in which your time at LBS has changed you?