04/04/2025

From Bahia to IMPA Tech: the promising future of Vitor Hugo de Souza

“Since childhood I've had an easy time learning, but I really started to like math from the 6th grade onwards. I would look at the books and see curious demonstrations, like the fact that the sum of the interior angles of a triangle is 180º.” This curiosity about the subtle nuances of mathematics led Vitor Hugo de Souza, a 20-year-old from Bahia, to leave Santa Maria da Vitória (BA) for Rio de Janeiro. Learn about the IMPA Tech student's journey in #BeyondEquations .

Accepted into the first class of the Bachelor's degree in Mathematics, Technology and Innovation, the young man moved to Rio de Janeiro at the beginning of 2024. “I found the city very beautiful, I had never been to Rio before. The accommodation is very good. I'm very close to the university and live next to my classmates.”

Vitor Hugo's first steps in mathematics were taken through the OBMEP (Brazilian Mathematics Olympiad for Public Schools), a competition that sparked his interest in the subject. He won two gold medals and participated in the PIC (Junior Scientific Initiation Program). In 2022, the young man traveled to Florianópolis for the OBMEP National Awards Ceremony, where he received his awards. “It was the first time I traveled by plane, it was really cool. Besides participating in the ceremony, I was able to meet some friends who were taking the exam in person,” he said.

Even before discovering IMPA Tech, the student already dreamed of pursuing a postgraduate degree at IMPA in the future. In 2023, he began his undergraduate studies in Mathematics at UnB (University of Brasília).

With the announcement of the IMPA graduation program, Vitor Hugo was excited and decided to apply for the selection process. “It was a great opportunity, so I decided to participate, mainly because of the scholarships, which are fundamental to enabling my studies and supporting myself in another city without having to work. Furthermore, I already knew the reputation of IMPA, which is the largest research center in mathematics in Latin America,” he said.

Like any change, the adaptation phase is part of the process, and the student highlighted that the work of the NAP (Psychopedagogical Support Center) was important in the first few months. “I took advantage of the resources at the NAP, especially at the beginning. It was important to have that support because there are so many changes happening at once.”

Now, after a year at IMPA Tech, Vitor Hugo is confident in the choices he made. “I’m excited for this new phase of specializations because mathematics is what I truly enjoy studying. I want to dedicate myself fully to my studies and pursue an academic career. My dream is to be a researcher at IMPA.”