With a heavy heart, parents always support their children as they leave the nest and spread their wings in the real world. There is no better way to describe how the Paper Wings team feels about our former winners that are now sharing their incredible talents with the world.
To celebrate the fact that we are now on our third edition of Paper Wings, the first scholarship to offer paid internships at startups, we’re checking in with Teresa and Alexandre, former winners, to understand how the scholarship is helping them out during their degree.
Let’s have a glimpse into their experience with Paper Wings
For Alexandre Justo and Teresa Ferreira, winners of the Paper Wings scholarship 2021 and 2020, respectively, this opportunity was life-changing. Additionally, both engaged in an internship at a startup, putting them one step ahead of their peers.
Alexandre highlights from his experience at Infraspeak that “I feel like my feet are grounded, I know what is expected of me in the professional world, and it’s easier to evaluate how to proceed in academic projects”. When it comes to Teresa she couldn't be happier stating that, “with my experience at Didimo, it’s easier to visualize how the theory that I am learning in my degree can be applied to actual projects.”
According to Alexandre and Teresa, the internship had several learning opportunities. The biggest takeaway was the insight from working with professionals who have been in the industry for several years. Gathering crucial information and hard-won insight is incredibly valuable and will definitely help them kick-start their careers.
Of course, all students must find their way in the professional world eventually, some sooner than others. And this is the case for both Alexandre and Teresa, but they have added confidence that this experience has helped them understand what they want to do in the future. According to Teresa, “I might not know for sure, but working with such an incredible team has led me to understand what kind of areas I can work in and which ones are perfect for me, and of course which ones I definitely don’t like!”
If you’re a student and you’re uncertain about spreading your wings like Alexandre and Teresa, they have a message for you: “There’s nothing to lose and everything to gain.” To goal is to try and to learn, making the Paper Wings a great opportunity regardless of what the future holds.
Finally, Paper Wings would like to thank the Infraspeak team and Felipe Ávila da Costa for sponsoring and mentoring Alexandre. Of course, we also want to thank the Didimo team and Veronica Orvalho who were responsible for mentoring Teresa. It’s gratifying to hear these stories and to know that the scholarship had an impact on both their lives and their access to education.
After hearing these two amazing stories, are you inspired into becoming the next Paper Wings success story?