When Luis Arcentales ’98 was assigned lead coverage of Chile as an economist at Morgan Stanley in New York, the country felt familiar. Years earlier, as a Lehigh student, he had researched its agricultural sector, met with policymakers and business professionals, and immersed himself in its culture through the Martindale Center for the Study of Private Enterprise. What began as a study-abroad experience had quietly become the foundation for his career.
Building a Global Perspective
Arcentales arrived at Lehigh from Ecuador, where he grew up watching his grandfather run plastic and glass factories. Initially, he imagined himself following a similar path. Lehigh’s industrial engineering program appealed to him because of its strong reputation and the encouragement of friends attending the university.
Once he was on campus, his ambitions began to broaden.
“When I came to Lehigh, I was motivated to do well,” he says. “I understood the sacrifices my parents were making to pay for school, and I wanted to make them proud. I was also eager to experience something beyond what I had known growing up.”
That curiosity drew him to the Martindale Center and its emphasis on global business and immersive travel.
While open to all students, the Martindale program only accepts 12 applicants each year for international field study. Over the course of the program, students examine a specific topic in relation to the country they visit and produce a research paper. Arcentales focused on the evolution of Chile’s agricultural sector and the factors that make it distinctive.
“Knowing that our paper could be published in a journal demanded a different level of commitment, forcing us to dig in and offer compelling perspectives on the subjects we chose,” he says.
“The trip showed me how important firsthand experience is to common understanding. We all carry unconscious stereotypes and biases. Travel forces you to challenge them and gain a deeper understanding of a place and its people.”
Years later, that lesson proved more than academic. Covering Chile professionally allowed him to revisit a country he already understood in multiple ways: economically, culturally, and historically.
“We always hope to apply what we learn in school,” he says. “In this case, I can draw a direct line from the Martindale Center to my career. That experience genuinely prepared me for the work I do.”
A Legacy of Gratitude
Since graduating, Arcentales has remained closely connected to Lehigh through the Martindale Center. His commitment to giving back is rooted not only in gratitude but also in personal inspiration.
An endowment he established honors Rosalyn "Roz" Koo, a philanthropist who profoundly shaped his family’s life. Koo’s family helped to create a scholarship that supported Arcentales’ wife, Chenling, during her studies at Harvard. Through her advocacy, Koo helped 1,000 girls from rural China access education opportunities that would otherwise have been out of reach.
“Even in her 90s, Roz was tirelessly supporting her community,” Arcentales says. “She was an inspiration to us, and she changed my wife’s life. Many students benefited from that scholarship, but my wife is one of the few who still keeps in touch with the family. Supporting the Martindale Center isn’t just about giving back to Lehigh — it’s also about honoring the example Roz set for us.”
By investing in the Martindale Center, Arcentales is extending that legacy and ensuring future students gain the same global perspective that once shaped his own.
