17/07/2024

A study journey inspired by family example.

Inspiration that comes from home. In #BeyondEquations , we'll tell the story of Tomaz de Lucena Cavalcante. Born in Recife (PE), the 18-year-old came to Rio de Janeiro for the first class at IMPA Tech and has his father as a great influence.

“I’ve always liked math, physics, and exact sciences in general. In high school, I participated in robotics classes, the Brazilian Mathematical Olympiad (OBMEP), computer science olympiads, and I did a research project. However, I never knew what I really wanted to do in college. And it was this doubt that brought me to IMPA Tech, because I realized that here I would have classes in physics, mathematics, data science, laboratory work, and I could delve a little deeper into each area,” he stated.

Motivated by his father, Gerardo Tomaz Cavalcante Filho, the student participated in the selection process to study at the Colégio de Aplicação of the Federal University of Pernambuco (CAP-UFPE) in 2017. Tomaz was accepted and was able to study on the same campus as Gerardo until the completion of high school.

“My father was always a very hardworking person. At 40, he took the ENEM (Brazilian National High School Exam) and started studying medicine at UFPE (Federal University of Pernambuco). During high school, he hardly had any biology and chemistry classes because he did technical training in electronics. So, in college, he needed to recover that foundation from the past to be able to keep up with the classes. He woke up very early and studied all day. He was a great example at home, showing that when you dedicate yourself, it pays off and works out,” he stated.

But it wasn't just Gerardo who motivated Tomaz. Despite the distance separating Recife from Rio de Janeiro, the whole family supported the student's application to the IMPA Tech selection process. “My family helped me a lot; of course they thought about the distance and how much I would miss them, but they always encouraged me. It's been very easy living here,” he stated.

Tomaz passed the selection process for IMPA Tech based on his performance in the ENEM (National High School Exam) and celebrated the news of his acceptance with his family. “I was insecure, I thought I wouldn't pass. When I received the news of the result, I was with my grandmother and we were very happy. Of course, the distance is a hindrance, but they always encourage me to study.”

Now, after two months of classes, the Recife native remains motivated by his degree at IMPA Tech. “The program keeps pace with the students, and our class is very good. The experience has been very demanding for me, but I've enjoyed it a lot. I like the subjects and the topics interest me; I always have different things to do,” he stated.

The interdisciplinary curriculum is also a distinguishing feature that caught Tomaz's attention from the start. "I like studying different things, studying more comprehensive subjects, like the Language Skills class. It's good to vary a bit from the area of mathematics, even to be able to focus better."

The student has already had the opportunity to forge new bonds and meet people from all over the country. “What surprised me was the quality of the students here. I arrived at IMPA Tech and realized that the people were very good, not because they were geniuses, but because they truly loved what they were doing. We live together and our relationship is good; I've made good friends. Day to day, we motivate each other and learn new things,” he added.

When he was little, Tomaz dreamed of being an inventor, but now he's convinced he can work in whatever field he wants. "I always knew I was into the sciences, but I confirmed here in my undergraduate studies that I want to work in computer science. I think with determination and dedication we can achieve whatever we want," he concluded.