ELA Alumna of the Month – July 2024

Meet our latest ELA Alumna of the month! We are delighted to introduce you to Matilde Abreu from Portugal, winner of the Youth Innovation Star Award at the 2023 Summer School in Valencia. Matilde holds a BSc in Micro and Nano Technologies engineering and is about to graduate with a Masters in the same subject from Lisbon NOVA University in her native Portugal. She is a communicative and outgoing person who likes to push the boundaries and step outside of her comfort zone.

Read here how the ELA experience shaped her and her hunger for knowledge and innovation.

Which aspects of the European Leadership Academy made your time with us such a life-changing experience for you?

A life-changing experience can be described, in my opinion, by the people and moments that come into our lives and make us better and help us discover ourselves. And that's the best definition of what the European Leadership Academy was for me.

How did the ELA programme you attended impact your personal growth? What’s a moment or sentence that you will never forget?

I believe that ELA undoubtedly elevates the female gender and the power of women in our world. For me, knowing that I was and am part of a community with so much strength, so much light, and so much love makes me believe in the woman I am and the human being I will be.

Did the programme influence your plans? Did it bring you closer to your goals and/or help you take a different path?

Absolutely! ELA has made me realise that I can basically be anything I want to be in life! I'm eternally grateful for the incredible network that the academy brought me. It made me meet my role models, the ones that I still talk to nowadays, and who influence and help my professional decisions in life.

What steps have you taken in your life and career since completing the programme?

After ELA, I began to believe in myself much more. While continuing to represent my country, Portugal, I competed in a Theatre Festival in Brazil, presented the Gala de Moura in Alentejo, and today I'm finishing my Master's Thesis at the French Atomic Energy Commission as Women in Engineering.

What have you achieved in the past few years that you are most proud of?

Today I can say that I am truly proud of the woman and engineer that I am, for having taken part in various projects and competitions, always succeeding in my degree. But all this could only have been possible due to my great support network of family/friends and more recently, the ELA community.

Knowing what you know now – what would you wish to have done differently?

Take a risk. Take a chance many more times than I did before.
ELA showed me how important it is to follow our instincts and trust ourselves more.

How did the programme shape your view of society and the changes that digital technology can bring?

This programme showed me how easy it is for human beings to connect with others, not only through direct interpersonal relationships, but also through digital means. We are the future, and if we know how to use technological changes in our favour, we will be stronger and stronger.

What is your vision for a more inclusive and sustainable future and how do you aim to contribute to it?

I believe that although small steps can make big differences in our world, our European Parliament has the biggest 'say' in making society more inclusive. My goal will always be to continue my journey as a woman in STEM, perhaps setting an example for many other girls.

What advice would you give the many women out there wishing to make a difference?

Never give up dreaming, because dreams do come true. There is a study that mentions that we are five times more and better than we think we are, and as women we will always be better when we are side by side, sharing, giving love, and empowering each other.

Lastly, please share the name of one song / book / movie that inspires you. The ELA community is always eager to broaden the sources of imagination and creativity!

Song: Pedra Filosofal by António Gedeão
Book: 21 Lessons for the 21st Century by Yuval Noah Harari
Movie: Hidden Figures by Theodore Melfi