05/08/2024

IMPA Tech student was accepted into 8 universities across 4 states.

In this episode of #BeyondEquations , we'll tell the story of Anderson Aquiles Batista de Souza. Born in Machados (PE), the 18-year-old was accepted into eight Brazilian universities and chose IMPA Tech for his undergraduate studies. Before arriving in Rio de Janeiro to study Mathematics of Technology and Innovation, Aquiles considered studying physics, engineering, and mathematics. He was accepted into ILUM, USP, UFPE, UNESP, UFMS, UPE, and Facens.

“I chose to come to IMPA Tech because I knew it would be a great challenge and because of IMPA's international reputation. Now, I'm realizing that's true. The course isn't easy, the level is high, but it motivates me precisely because I'm learning things I wouldn't learn anywhere else,” said the student.

Anderson's childhood was spent in Siriji, a small district of São Vicente Férrer, in the interior of Pernambuco. It was there that he came into contact with academic competitions, such as the OBMEP (Brazilian Mathematics Olympiad for Public Schools), the OBA (Brazilian Astronomy Olympiad), and the OBR (Brazilian Robotics Olympiad), and developed his passion for the field of exact sciences.

Between the 9th grade of elementary school and the 3rd year of high school, the student won gold and silver medals in the Brazilian Astronomy Olympiad (OBA) and a bronze medal in the Brazilian Mathematical Olympiad (OBMEP), but it was in the 2nd year of high school that his greatest achievement came. Due to his good performance in the astronomy olympiad, Anderson qualified for the international selection process in the field (IOAA and OLAA) and traveled to Rio de Janeiro for the first time to prepare and take the exam. Despite his efforts, he didn't advance to the next stages, but remained on the waiting list. "I was very happy with my performance because it was the first time I participated in the selection process, and it's very difficult to get there, especially coming from so far away," he added.

Despite having a greater affinity for astronomy and physics, Anderson sees mathematics as the fundamental basis for his performance. “To be able to study and achieve these accomplishments, I needed to study a lot of mathematics, such as linear algebra and calculus. A strong mathematical foundation is indispensable for delving deeper into physics studies. When I saw the IMPA Tech curriculum, I was very excited because here I can study a little bit of everything and pursue the emphasis in physics, which is my desire,” he added.

A major change in the life of this man from the Northeast was the move to Rio de Janeiro. “Living in Rio de Janeiro is a complete change. At first, I felt a huge impact, but I'm already adapted and happy. I feel comfortable and my relationship with the other students is very good,” he said.

Furthermore, Anderson now shares his daily life with students who also have a passion for STEM fields. “I come from a place where, unfortunately, there aren’t many schools and opportunities, so I didn’t have classmates interested in areas similar to mine. Here at IMPA Tech, the exchange of experiences we have is fantastic. It’s been incredible!”

After the end of the first cycle, Anderson is excited for the next stage. “My expectations for the second semester are very high, I'm thrilled and I think the content will be more fun. I'm very anxious and I'm already looking at the syllabus,” the student concluded.