National Student Day | Inês, Helena and Maria Francisca's achievements

24 March is National Student Day, a date that, at Universidade Católica Portuguesa, is celebrated through the achievements of its students.

Inês Pinheiro, a student at the Braga Regional Centre, has dedicated her academic life to the study of social action and now, as part of her master's degree, she is specialising in Applied Social Gerontology.

Throughout this journey, he is particularly proud of the ‘creation of the “Ser Social” Student Commission’, and the participation ‘in the  “Ser Cuidadoso” project’, winner of the Uniservitate 2024 Prize in the Southern European region.

This prestigious award aims to recognise the best Service Learning initiatives in Catholic Higher Education, highlighting projects that combine academic excellence with community action in response to real social problems.

Already in Lisbon, at the Head Office, Helena Carmo represents a story of overcoming and pioneering spirit. She is the first deaf person to do a doctorate at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa and the second in Portugal.

With this transformative experience, she realised "that she could overcome barriers", an achievement that brings her "great satisfaction", but which she believes is not just hers, as it gives visibility to the deaf community. "It gives society another perspective when looking at deaf people".

With an altruistic and adventurous spirit, Maria Francisca Bento, a Dental Medicine student at Católica's Viseu Campus, highlights her participation in the FLY international volunteering and mentoring project as her greatest achievement.

"This experience has been a real adventure, where I've learnt to understand the world better and become even more certain that small actions can make a difference when it comes to building a better and more supportive world", she recalls of volunteering with Cáritas Diocesana de Madrid.

Happy National Student Day to everyone and may you continue to pursue your dreams.