Harvard publishes research of 18-year-old student from Jacarepaguá: “I spoke with passion”

— I didn’t think I’d win anything. I have good English, but I didn’t think I would reach the level of an American student, especially in academic English. I had already planned to send the research elsewhere, thinking I would rush to publish it. We celebrated a lot! – remembers.

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The title of the work, which won the silver medal, reflects its main theme, the democratization of education: “Education in the Crossfire: How State Neglect and Urban Violence in Rio’s Marginalized Communities Affect Public Schools.”

— I spoke about the subject with passion. It gave me visibility. It wasn’t just about winning a prize. This is what we see every day.

The daughter of a civil servant, Maria Eduarda saw her mother attend different private schools to obtain scholarships for her: her education included the Falcon, Elite, Santa Mônica and Matriz schools. To attend college in the United States, she must take the SAT test (a test similar to the Enem in Brazil), but also be accepted for her CV, which is now included in this publication and features other accomplishments. Maria Eduarda had previously been selected to participate in two UN simulations conducted by Yale, one at the university’s headquarters (when she received a full scholarship) and another in São Paulo. He also won a scholarship to take a summer course at the New York Times.

To top it all off, Maria Eduarda participates in two special projects: Brazil Action, through which she gives free basic English and writing lessons for Enem (she scored more than 900 points in the editions she followed) to those who cannot afford these fees; and CariocaMun, in which, alongside a group of friends, he promotes international opportunities, gives lectures in public schools and participates in geopolitical events, such as the G20 in Rio, among other activities.

— In one of the schools, a little girl told me that she would never be a doctor because she is poor and black. When I saw that she had no hope in her dream, it broke me, because I was still encouraged. This makes me understand that I really want to help these students, so that they have the same opportunities as those in private schools, with monthly fees of R$7,000 — she explains, who wants to study World Affairs (the equivalent of international relations) and economics, to become a UN activist or a journalist specializing in geopolitics.

This year, Maria Eduarda has already been admitted to four American universities: University of Kentucky, Eastern Michigan University, Stetson University and Marquette University, where she has a guaranteed scholarship. She is still waiting for the results which will arrive by March, like those from Harvard. Michigan had already approved her last year, but she chose to take this year off to focus on projects that would improve her chances.

— You must correspond to the college, and it corresponds to you. It must be your face. They really value community service, and my projects have that – he says.

Always working on themes linked to education, Maria Eduarda is inspired by Paulo Freire. For the documentary she made during the New York Times course, she asked Brazilian and foreign friends to say one of the educator’s famous phrases: “Education does not transform the world. Education changes people. People transform the world.”