Work

I worked for 3 months at the Departamento de Química Inorgânica of the Instituto de Química from Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) in the city of Araraquara, São Paulo State, Brazil. This work consisted on the synhtesis and characterization of rare earths-doped glasses, for the search of white light emitters. I was under the supervision of Dr Prof Marcelo Nalin and Dr Leonardo Vieira Albino, among other members of the department's staff.

Experience

My daily life during this internship was quite comfortable, assisting to work from Monday to Friday to the Departamento de Química Inorgânica at Instituto de Química in Araraquara, and finding a really open, sociable and warm staff. They were always helpful to teach me about the new field of science which I was immersing, and they were also very concerned about my daily life in the city, always willing to assist me in any case I needed. They also invited me to their own parties and made me feel really well received. Regarding the accomodation, I stayed at a student's residence called "República Direitoria", which I also found comfortable and the boys in there were really kind. I had the opportunity to make really amazing trips. I travelled to an island called Ilhabela in São Paulo State, which is a natural beauty, with jungle and amazing beaches. I also travelled to marvelous cities like Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and, in the end, I went to Iguazú waterfalls. These last ones, I found to have a breath-taking natural beauty. During these 3 months, both in Araraquara and the other places I visited, I made a lot of friends from all over the world, like Spain, Serbia, Ecuador, Tunisia, Austria, Poland, Germany, Switzerland, France, Colombia and, of course, a lot of Brazilian friends that made my stay wonderful and unique.

Discover

This experience changes my life. I acquired new knowledge regarding the field of photonics and its applications, which was really interesting and helpful for my studies of Chemical Engenieering. I also learned a lot about myself, like my ability to adapt to new circumstances and places I had never visited, and to share beautiful moments with people from all around the world, which is one of the things I am most passionate about.