A young man from Cubetao (SP) received a scholarship to a university in the United States, which approves only 1% of applications after being denied at 19 other institutions in the country. 19-year-old student Gabriel Bio Guerra said in an interview G1 This Wednesday (28), that approval was the fulfillment of a big dream, and that the university to which it was approved would be the last attempt of this year.
“I declined 19 and thought this was the end of the line, I was lost. With the support of other Brazilians studying abroad, I discovered this opportunity, and it was the last university with open enrollment. I said ‘ It’s now or never. ‘, I struggled a lot and I managed to pass one of the most popular “, he recalls.
The student graduated from the Integrated Technical High School in Informatics this year at the Campus de Cubata of the Federal Institute of São Paulo. He was approved with an 85% discount at Minerva Schools in San Francisco-based KGI. The university received 25,000 applicants from 180 countries in 2020, but only 200 students were selected to join the institute. According to the Cubatão Institute, approval is about 1%.
Gabriel says that his trajectory began much earlier in the first year of high school. With a dream of studying at an institute abroad, the student started thinking about extra-curricular activities. In 2018, he developed an augmented reality app with teachers and colleagues, which serves as a support for the high school book.
The young man created a project, which enabled participation in conferences and vacancies abroad – Photo: Personal Archive
Along with the project, the team was accepted into five conferences and won a regional science fair in the Technology and Innovation category. In 2019, he managed to pass a course at Northwestern University. With experiences, he could devote himself to a place in universities abroad, and he had the support of programs and students who encouraged and guided him in the process.
The first number the boy got was from Northwestern, the university he attended. “It was a first disappointment on a grand level, but my family’s motto is ‘When you come to plant good plants, cut the good ones’. I knew I was planting good plants, but still “I doubted myself, I. I lost myself, I didn’t know what I needed”, he says.
He then obtained several refinances from other institutions. Dividing his time between work, study and the task of applying to universities abroad, he thought of a ‘Plan B’ until he found out that there was still an institute that he did not apply to Minerva schools did.
The university follows a different model of study, and provides housing in seven countries. Although headquartered in the United States, during graduation, students pass through South Korea, India, Germany, Argentina, England, and Taiwan. He dedicated himself with the help of one person, who knows about the application for 15 consecutive days, and the approval was an achievement, especially due to high competition.
Young man talks about expectations to study in a crowded university – Photo: Personal Archive
“In the end, it worked. It’s a relief, you look back and think, ‘Did I try so hard to hit the post?’ Like I would have won the title in the second half, ”he celebrates.
The goal of a youth studying computer science and business is a dual degree. Even with the scholarship, he says he will enter a startup to find a way to help with costs when living abroad. He also reiterates that this entire process is very specific, and he tries to help and encourage students who dream of studying in another country while sharing their experience.
Classes begin in late August, and by then, he will devote himself to working and preparing for the trip. The student revealed that despite always dreaming of leaving the country, he wants to return with his degree, to start a company and bring the knowledge gained to Brazil. “My plan and my dream is to be able to open my own company in the technology sector”, concludes Gabriel.
