Born to a doctor father and a nurse mother, young Peruvian Marco Carrasco decided to go against the current, graduating from National University of San Marcos with a degree in Economics.
Soon after, his determination and discipline earned him a scholarship to pursue graduate studies in economics and psychology at the prestigious Sorbonne University in Paris, France.
Although doubtful at the beginning, Marco decided to go through with his economics studies.
"I was really good with numbers, that helped me a lot, but I wasn’t entirely into it until psychology came into my life," says the 26-year-old.
Marco first came into contact with psychology thanks to a good friend from college and was immediately drawn to the field. As soon as he got the opportunity, he left his homeland to realize a long-time dream: blending economics and psychology.
In 2012, he applied for —and won— a scholarship for the French University. There, he studied behavioral economics, which he describes as an economics sub-discipline that applies psychology to develop public policies.
The United States, Asian and European countries are already successfully applying this sub-field, and Marco hopes to do the same in the country.
"While economy is the common denominator behind many social issues, […] few economists focus on social development […]. This is an incredibly rewarding field for me," he points out.
In addition, behavioral psychology does not require a lot of money and can be developed in various fields, such as health, education, among others.
Projects
Marco currently works on two consultancy academic projects: BEST and ASIA.
The first draws on the experiences of Asian countries to emulate them in the Inca nation, whereas BEST is the first project focused on behavioral economics in Peru.
This young talent encourages fellow Peruvian youth to apply for scholarships abroad and pursue further studies.
"With eagerness, motivation and a bit of orientation, you can make your dreams come true," he concludes.
(END) MFA/ART/DHT/MVB