The Cardon International Sponsorship Program
Thirteen years into his career, Horacio Madariaga never thought that he’d return to school to earn a graduate degree. But when he was encouraged to attend the Marriott School with a loan from the Cardon International Sponsorship (CIS) program, he knew the educational and cultural experience would further his career when he returned to South America.
Madariaga first heard about the CIS program in 1988, when he was working in the processing center of Laboratorios Bago, a pharmaceutical corporation in Argentina. Elder Waldo P. Call, then area president for the South America South Area, came to preside over the Argentina La Plata Stake Conference, where Madariaga was serving as stake president.
Elder Call told him about the CIS program—how it provided loans so people could earn Marriott School graduate degrees and return to serve in their countries. “I told him that I would think about young people in our stake who would qualify for the program,” Madariaga says. “To my surprise he said, ‘I’m not talking about other young people, I’m talking about you!’”
That conversation resulted in Madariaga applying and receiving a sponsorship; he then relocated his family, which at that time included five children, to Provo. He graduated with his MBA in 1991 and worked for Ernst & Young as its senior IT manager in Venezuela. Madariaga then worked for Nature’s Sunshine as the director of administration and finance, also in Venezuela. He worked for Shaklee Argentina as director of administration and finance until he was recruited by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1998 to work as the information and communications systems manager for the South America South Area. In September 2003 Madariaga was assigned to work as information technology field representative for all Latin America.
Since initiation of the program in 1986, students not only from Argentina, but from throughout the world have benefited from the CIS program. More than one hundred and thirty students from countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Pacific Islands have participated.
National Advisory Council members and their associates initiated the program. Contributions from that group, along with alumni donations and CIS loan repayments, perpetuate the fund.
“One key goal is to help participants prepare for leadership positions when they return to their native countries—in their professions, communities, and Church,” says Professor Brooke Derr, director of the Global Management Center.
Students who apply for the CIS program must be married, members of the Church of Jesus Christ, and admitted to a Marriott School graduate program. They are required to return to their home countries upon completion of their degree.
Now in its eighteenth year, the program continues to give international students—like Madariaga—the opportunity to experience the Marriott School, BYU, and the United States. “Not only did I get the chance to earn an MBA, but I also became fluent in English—both of which are highly sought after in my country,” Madariaga explains. “I couldn’t afford that by myself; the sponsorship was crucial to make this dream come true.”
To support the CIS program or other Marriott School initiatives, visit
marriottschool.byu.edu/giving
or contact Ron Seamons at 801-422-3801.
For more information on the CIS program, visit marriottschool.byu.edu/cis.
CIS at Glance
• Initiated in 1986, then called ISSP
• 131 students have graduated from the CIS program
• Approximately twenty new students are funded each year
• Funded through two sources—interest on an endowment established by the NAC and annual direct contributions
• Average participant loans for the two years of graduate school and living expenses are about $30,000
• Administered by the Marriott School’s Global Management Center
