Meet Ana Beatriz: Class of 2027 Member and Rise Global Winner

‍How did you discover Minerva?

I discovered Minerva during a Summit in South Africa. I was asked if I knew that my friend studied at a university where students traveled to seven different countries. I did not know and it seemed unbelievable! I talked to him and immediately looked up the Minerva website because I was compiling my college list, but it was not clear to me at first that Minerva was my dream school. Minerva is so innovative that it took me a while to accept that the course I was going to take was different from what I had imagined—classes are online and I would not study at a university with huge, physical laboratories. I had a wonderful talk with a Minerva alumnus and truly got to know more about Minerva, especially about its mission and values, before realizing it was the college of my dreams.

What was your favorite accomplishment that you submitted in your Minerva application?

My favorite accomplishment was my involvement with the “Canto In Club” group, with whom I put out many musicals. We rehearse every Friday and perform twice a semester. The moments I spend with them are always the lightest and most fun, and we have complete freedom to be creative and express ourselves artistically.

What excites you the most about attending Minerva?

What excites me the most about attending Minerva are the constant changes and transformations that students go through. The unpredictability of what will happen and what we will learn—courses also change to keep up with the world and the topics that students are more interested in—is fascinating and I consider it essential to growth.

What are you excited to bring to the Minerva community next year?

I cannot wait to bring my passion for people, life, and learning and share it with my future Minerva family. I am extremely energetic and love being around people. I enjoy every aspect of being alive, and I want to encourage others to feel the same way. Also, I will be bringing two very curious ears to listen and appreciate all the past experiences and knowledge that anyone in the Minerva community has to offer.

What major are you most interested in and how will that contribute to your future dream career?

I am most interested in the Natural Sciences major. It will be great for my aspiration to become a researcher in the fields of chemical engineering and biotechnology.

Can you talk about how you became a Rise Global Winner? What does this achievement mean to you?

I learned about Rise through the Brazilian Institute ISMART, which focuses on providing scholarships and development opportunities for talented low-income students. Their educational team really believed in me and gave me all the necessary strength to accept what was the biggest challenge of my entire life.

The Rise application process was like no other and I had to do, on my own, something that I had never tried before: create a project. I find it interesting that the fact I was approved as a Rise Global Winner does not mean that I managed to do a very good project on the first try. I dealt with a lot of mistakes and my project did not live up to my expectations, but I discovered my natural talents in research and planning. The second part of the process involved a lot of reflection and self-knowledge, as we had to present the truest version of ourselves and also a lot of creativity and problem-solving skills. It was my favorite part and I had a lot of fun.

Minerva’s challenges reminded me of that feeling and that is why I loved Minerva’s application so much. I want to be in an environment that gives me more of that feeling. Being a Rise Global Winner represents my commitment to spending my life serving others and using my resources for the common good. Also, meeting and being inspired by the other Rise Global Winners remind me of our generation’s power to make a positive impact. Rise to me means "hope".

How do you plan on utilizing the resources offered by Rise to advance your career?

The north star in my career is to make scientific and technological advances in health services more accessible in Latin America and to invest in opportunities for our local scientists and researchers. In addition to project funding, Rise provides a global community of young leaders, some of whom have similar interests to mine. I participate in Rise networking circles, where we gather to discuss chosen topics. I am part of the sub-community “ULATAM,” which focuses on the development of Latin American countries.

Minerva University now partners with Rise to provide four-year scholarships to promising students.