Carlos Nogami
Southwestern College Class of 2005
Credit Risk Analyst-INVISTA

from the 2009 edition of Faces of Southwestern-Homecoming 2009

Amplify all the nerves of an incoming freshman by 10, and you might be able to empathize with the international student who has never been in Kansas, or in the Midwest, and who has never stepped foot on the campus that will become his second home for the next four years.

But Southwestern College appealed to international student Carlos Nogami, and he was able to quickly adjust to the pace of things here from his very different hometown of Juarez, Mexico, population one and a half million. He was welcomed by the host family of Bill and Helen Gellig, and quickly learned to balance school, employment, and extracurricular activities.

Carlos Nogami came to Southwestern thinking computer science would be his major, but settled on business with dual majors in accounting and management. He was a Bishop’s Scholar, and while he laughs off any musical talents, says he enjoyed being a member of the World Witness team that reached out to other churches through music and testimony.

“Although we were from different backgrounds, we came to Southwestern and it was a good environment to grow in faith,” Nogami says.

This was just one example of how he was able to take his involvement in campus organizations and apply them to the real world. As a member of the campus-based Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) non-profit organization, he was certified through the state as an income tax assistant and volunteered as a tax preparer for low income families, the elderly, and the disabled. “We were using our business knowledge to assist the community,” he said. “We enjoyed it.”

The SIFE team championed the 2004 SIFE Regional Competition and Career Opportunity Fair in New Orleans. Not many months later, in 2005, Carlos was graduating from SC and his college experience had seemed to fly by. But he kept the momentum gained on The Hill, and pursued a master’s degree in international business from Newman University.

He is now working at a self-described dream job. Carlos is a credit risk analyst for INVISTA, a Koch Industries subsidiary and one of the world’s largest integrated producers of polymers and fibers with operations in more than 20 countries. He manages the portfolios of the company’s Latin American customers, traveling back to his home country up to three times a year on business.

“I’m fluent in Spanish, and this is a good way for me to use my natural language. It’s an excellent fit,” he said. “Ten years from now, I see m     “I’m fluent in Spanish, and this is a good way for me to use my natural language. It’s an excellent fit,” he said. “Ten years from now, I see myself completing a Ph.D. in economics with strong corporate experience under y belt. Ultimately, I want to go back to the border region where I grew up to work as an economic consultant to help drive the economic prosperity that is needed to reduce poverty and crime in the region.”

Carlos graduated high school as valedictorian from United Methodist-affiliated Lydia Patterson Institute in El Paso, Texas. He has thought often about what he would say to new graduates of this school. “Find the college that will help you dream and help you grow and experience different fields,” he advises. “Choose a college for the overall fit, and not just a major. College is for finding your true self and exploring intellectual experience. This definitely worked in my favor when I chose Southwestern College.”