My interest for Civil Engineering was initially aroused by gazing at the monuments designed by the famous architect Oscar

Niemeyer and the modern buildings that are located in my city, Brasilia. It was not only the beauty of the structures that fascinated me, but specially the way they work and all the science behind them. This interest was allied with a noticeable ability in Math and Physics I have always had, therefore the choice of my course was natural. Thanks to a great dedication to my studies during my school days, I was selected by the University of Brasilia, a prestigious institution in my country, before I finished High School, for the course of Civil Engineering. The University has been highly demanding, but I keep good grades and also I identified passions inside my future profession: I have recently discovered a great affinity for the Water Resources area (which I believe to have great potential in Brazil) and also for the Structures field. In addition, my particular ability to identify and solve problems quickly was developed by the daily logic challenges I face in my course. Although I still value a good transcript very much, I believe that the experiences that I have outside the classroom are what really define me as a student. The University is a place full of opportunities beyond only classes, so I didnt want to limit myself to have a mediocre experience as a student. For that reason, one year ago I joined the Tutorial Educational Program of Civil Engineering (PET), a group which works with the aim of improving my undergraduation course through researches, extension and educational activities. Being a part of this group has been an outstanding experience. Firstly because, thanks to PET, I have done researches in which I studied subjects that complemented what was taught in my classes. Moreover, the group intensified my admiration for my future profession, especially because I had the opportunity to visit grand masterpieces of the Brazilian engineering, as the Hydroelectric Dam of Itaipu. I also felt a progress in the social and personal realms. I have become an excellent leader by the experience of coordinating some of the group activities, and also I have acquired team spirit. Another good aspect of my extracurricular activity is the close contact I have with students of all semesters and teachers. The contact with one teacher in particular, from the Transports Department, was very positive for me since it initiated a project in which I participate with other students. The idea we are developing is the creation of a carpooling website where students would meet to share rides to the University of Brasilia, in order to minimize traffic problems in a sustainable way. It has been almost a year since we started to make surveys and analyzing traffic problems inside the campus, and the group is currently trying to obtain financial support by our university. Being part of this team is a way of putting in practice my ideology that the role of an engineer is not only to provide numerical and economically viable solutions, but also changing the world around us with the ability of applying knowledge in the creation of good ideas. Studying for a year in the United Kingdom is part of my plan of embracing opportunities in the academic environment, enriching my life in the cultural and professional realm and keeping on creating my identity as a future civil engineer. As the UK is highly developed and is place for a lot of engineering works, not mentioning its nations amazing culture, I know I will become a better person with this exchange. I believe that my passion for

my course and for learning will be valuable so I can have more progress and contribute to one of the universities of excellence I have applied for.