20/07/2022

Former IMPA student selected for PhD program in the USA.

Foto: Reprodução TV Globo

Claudia Rodrigues da Silveira, a graduate of IMPA (Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics), was selected to receive a doctoral scholarship at the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando. She was one of only 12 people worldwide selected for this opportunity at one of the most renowned universities in the USA. Her story was featured in a report on Emissoras Pioneiras de Televisão (EPTV) , an affiliate of TV Globo.

Originally from Ribeirão Preto (SP), Claudia Rodrigues da Silveira told EPTV that she always studied in public schools and that she felt discouraged before reaching where she is today. “My first obstacle was social inequality. I heard a lot that poor people don't bother studying and will never get ahead, because doors are closed when you don't have money. Education isn't accessible to us. I heard many people saying that, I saw many people giving up on studying. It was even more of a boost to try to show that we can study, we can and we have the right to,” she told the news team.

Despite her difficult financial situation, Cláudia continued to pursue her goals. In 2014, she was accepted into the mathematics undergraduate program at the University of São Paulo (USP), after having studied in a community-based preparatory course for university entrance exams. After earning her degree, she began her master's program at IMPA, which she completed in February of this year.

According to Claudia, her biggest dream is yet to come true. Acceptance with a scholarship for a doctorate in the USA is the first step towards an international career in science. Her mother, Odésia Silveira, a domestic worker who is currently unemployed, told television that this is a childhood dream of her daughter.

"I even got the shakes when she said she passed the test to study in the United States, which is her dream. The feeling is amazing, I wanted to tell the whole world. I'm very proud and very worried because of the financial situation," Odésia told TV.

To read the G1 article, access the website at this link.