A Trailblazer in Education and Business

Born and raised in Gulu, Northern Uganda, Latim Simon Peter '21 MBA has experienced many hardships growing up in a country ravaged by a decades-long civil war. As a third-born of eight children, he became the first child to achieve an education beyond lower secondary school. "The journey to becoming educated was arduous," Latim says, but he endured even after dropping out of school multiple times. 

This spring, he's graduating from Opus with an MBA and a Graduate Certificate in Transformational Change and Organization Development — with big goals for what's next. He plans to start an import-export company that buys and sells goods between Uganda and China.

He's using his learnings from international business law, supply chain management, negotiation, and finance courses to develop a business plan. "They've proven pivotal in helping me negotiate and design a system for an international transaction," he says.

Have a strategic intent to network with the best minds within and outside of the program.

Latim saw the Part-time Flex MBA program as a growth opportunity for his career. After immigrating to the United States in 2016, he began his MBA two years later and became a naturalized American citizen in 2020. He resigned from his job at Delta Airlines to become a stay-at-home dad and to pursue his MBA.

While living in Uganda, Latim was an active leader in communities, schools, and organizations. He represented Uganda in the Model United Nations General Assembly (MUNGA), conceptualized a youth farming project as an undergraduate student at Gulu University, and became a regional manager for Youth, Arts, Development and Entrepreneurship Network (YADEN East Africa).

At Opus, he's especially enjoyed the in-person learning and teaching before the pandemic. "The social connection with my professors has been exceedingly joyful and impactful," he says. "It's granted me the opportunity to continue to learn even after graduation."

Latim's professional advice for future MBA students? Stay focused and look ahead.

"Be open with the academic advisors about your needs and career goals," he says. "Look beyond the program and have a strategic intent to network with the best minds within and outside of Opus College."