In this "Testimonials" we interview Francisco Heleno, awarded with a Bolsa de estudo Xpand IT Educação 2023.

Tell us a bit about yourself and your journey at IST.

My name is Francisco Heleno, I am 19 years old and I am from Vendas Novas.

I have always enjoyed learning new things, which led me to create my first website at the age of 10. At that moment, I discovered that my future would somehow be related to technology.

As the years went by and when the time came for applying to university, my idea prevailed, so I am currently attending the 2nd year of the Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science and Engineering at the Alameda campus.

What did winning this award personally mean to you?

Winning this prize has given me a lot of motivation to continue studying in what is my dream area.

Why are awards like this important?

I think initiatives like this one captivate students academically, but I also consider them important on a personal level because students feel that someone supports them and wants their success, making this journey through higher education simpler.

In your opinion (aside from awards ;) ), what can and should be done to attract more students to Computer Engineering at Técnico?

I believe that, despite an increasing number of people becoming interested in STEM, certain things can be done to further drive this growing interest. One of them is conducting interviews with individuals who have succeeded in their fields, specifically in the case of the question, interviews with women whose area of work is science. In this regard, Técnico is already doing its part, notably DEI, with the interview series "Bytes de Brilho," which aims to highlight exceptional female students from LEIC.

Do you have any advice for future students of Computer Engineering at Técnico?

Find a good group of friends, that is, a group with whom you can socialize, but also study. Until I got to Técnico, I wasn't used to studying in groups, and I even thought it didn't work for me. The truth is that my opinion changed when I finally studied with university friends and saw that it is quite productive because we help each other.