From Recife to Rio: study journey motivated by family example

17/07/2024

Inspiration that comes from home. In #AlémDasEquações, we’ll tell you about the career of Tomaz de Lucena Cavalcante. Born in Recife (PE), the 18-year-old came to Rio de Janeiro for the first class of IMPA Tech and has his father as a great influence.

“I’ve always liked mathematics, physics and exact sciences in general. At school, I took part in robotics classes, the OBMEP, computer Olympiads and did a research project. However, I never knew what I really wanted to do as an undergraduate. And it was this doubt that brought me to IMPA Tech, because I realized that here I would have classes in physics, mathematics, data science, laboratories and I could delve a little deeper into each area,” he said.

Motivated by his father, Gerardo Tomaz Cavalcante Filho, the student took part in the selection process to study at the Colégio de Aplicação da Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (CAP-UFPE) in 2017. Tomaz was approved and was able to study on the same campus as Gerardo until he finished high school.

“My father has always been a very hard worker. When he was 40, he took the ENEM and started studying medicine at UFPE (Federal University of Pernambuco). During high school, he hardly had any lessons in biology and chemistry, because he was an electronics technician. So, when he was at university, he had to recover this foundation from the past in order to keep up with his classes. He woke up very early and studied all day. He was a great example at home, showing that when you dedicate yourself, it’s worth it and it works,” she said.

But it wasn’t just Gerardo who motivated Tomaz. Despite the distance between Recife and Rio de Janeiro, his entire family supported the student’s application to the IMPA Tech selection process. “My family helped me a lot, of course they thought about the distance and missing me, but they always encouraged me. It’s been very peaceful living here,” he said.

Tomaz passed the selection process for IMPA Tech based on his performance in the ENEM (National High School Exam) and celebrated the news of his approval with his family. “I was insecure, I thought I wouldn’t pass. When I got the news, I was with my grandmother and we were very happy. Of course, the distance gets in the way, but they always encourage me to study.”

Now, with two months of classes under his belt, the Recife native remains motivated about his degree at IMPA Tech. “Graduation accompanies students, and our class is very good. The experience has demanded a lot of me, but I’ve really enjoyed it. I like the subjects and they interest me, I always have different things to do,” he said.

The interdisciplinary curriculum is also a differentiator that caught Tomaz’s attention from the start. “I like to study different things, to study broader subjects, like the Language Skills class. It’s good to vary a little from mathematics so that I can focus better.”

The student has already had the opportunity to create new bonds and meet people from all over the country. “What surprised me was the quality of the students here. I arrived at IMPA Tech and realized that the people were very good, and not because they were geniuses, but because they really loved what they were doing. We live together and our relationship is good, I’ve made good friends. On a daily basis, we motivate each other and learn new things,” he added.

When he was little, Tomaz dreamed of being an inventor, but now he’s convinced that he can work with whatever he wants. “I always knew I was in the exact sciences, but I confirmed here at graduation that I want to work in computer science. I think that with determination and dedication we can get where we want to go,” he concluded.

Read more: IMPA Tech student has 46 medals in knowledge olympiads
See also: IMPA Tech graduate receives OBMEP medal at event in Rio