“My name is Victor, I’m from Aracaju. When in the 3rd year of high school, as the ENEM Exam approached, I had no conditions to pay the expenses of a preparatory course that offered me the necessary support to be approved for Medicine. So, through a school teacher, I met Gauss Project and was selected, having guaranteed an alternative in case I didn’t pass the exam that year. And it was exactly what happened: by the end of the school year, having lived in the State’s countryside for the last 8 years, I moved again to Aracaju, where I passed the exam, conquering the wishful admittance in Medicine at the end of the year.

Today, I’m a 4th period student at Sergipe’s Federal University, and I feel honored for having been part of a project that was so important in my path.”

“I’m Diego, from Muribeca-SE. I’ve always been a state public school student and have always had difficulty with the schooling itself. I’ve had teachers that have greatly motivated me, some even offering overtime hours to stimulate me to study deeper and to take part in literary contests and Olympics, in which I excelled.

Even with all this help, I still had an educational deficit. With Gauss, I had the opportunity to fulfill this demand. I started to feel actually ready to reach out for something big, and I could choose an undergraduate course aligned with my likes, and not only with what I thought I could achieve. Today I’m a Medical student at Sergipe’s Federal University.”

“My name is Vinícius, I am 21 years-old and I live in Aracaju, the town in which I was born. At the time when I met Gauss, I was 17 years-old and I was finishing High School. When I got into the Project, I was very happy to know that I would have a new chance to improve my knowledge base, which until then presented some flaws because of the problems I faced in previous schools. It was a reality which I had never had contact with. The education that they provided me was high quality, and I finally felt prepared to go to college.

At last, I was admitted to Civil Engineering by SISU (Unified Selection System) in 2018 to study at Sergipe’s Federal University, a course that I still attend to this day. Currently, in 2020, I have finished the fourth period of the graduation course, and I keep in touch with Gauss and it makes me happy for the great success that it’s having, year after year. I dream of one day being able to help fulfill the dreams of people that, like me, seek a better future through education.”

“At 18, I left home in search of a dream: to study in a public university. Living with my grandmother and without resources to pay for a private preparatory course, I spent 2018 studying at a public pre-college course, and reached the second stage of selection at UNESP (São Paulo State University). The following year, although my name did not appear in a university admissions list, I was accepted in this amazing and indispensable project, Gauss!

They not only gave me a scholarship to a first-rate pre-college course, but also provided all the necessary support for me to entirely focus on my studies. The mentorship program helped me tremendously in the most challenging moments, and landed me two great friends! The pre-college course, CPV, became my second home. I met amazing people and fantastic professors. The course’s infrastructure certainly allowed me to study with a lot of comfort. I had everything I needed to be productive and excel in the college admission exams!

And that’s how it went. It was, no doubt, a difficult and exhausting year, but I was approved for the school of my choice, Pharmacy, in three of my four admission exams: FUVEST (USP) (9th place), UNESP (5th place) and Mackenzie (15th place). Having studied in public schools most of my life, I am now enrolled in the university of my dreams, USP! I am very grateful for Gauss Project and everyone involved in realizing my dream, in addition to showing me the importance of helping others. You change lives, and you have changed mine!”

“I was considered crazy in rural Sergipe, in Itaporanga D’Ajuda just because I dreamed of being a doctor. I had to study a lot to get there, but there were enormous barriers in the way. My parents, both farmer’s market workers, were supportive of my studies but what we had was only enough to eat. However, in 2018 I was accepted by Gauss, and from that moment onwards I was given all the tools to pursue my dream. I won’t lie: it was a difficult year. Many did not believe I would make it, except for my parents, mentors and friends I made in Gauss. They kept their faith in me all the way – and with that, the barriers were broken.

Today I am a medical student at Santa Marcelina School in São Paulo, and all this was achieved with the help of Gauss. Gauss Project gave me amazing opportunities, mentors who became like siblings, friends for life. Basically, Gauss changed my life and my family’s life.”

“The Project brought me into a world that I would otherwise never be able to access: the world of quality education. In this world I can question, understand, assimilate and choose among different opportunities that this path has to offer. Before education entered my life, I was oblivious to conditions associated with the natural cycle of poverty. Today I am a fourth year Business Management student at University of São Paulo and started an internship in a large American bank. I used to think about making a lot of money, and being rich. Now I think differently. I do not focus so much on making money or “getting there’ as my main goal. What really matters is to change the lives of many people through education.”

“I discovered Gauss through a public pre-college course where I studied. When I got the call telling me I was accepted, I was extremely happy, as if I had been admitted to the federal university. When the initial excitement faded, I remember becoming very worried about my ability to follow everything, about whether standards would be too high. Ultimately, the more intense routine helped me even after the preparatory course, after I started college. I practically did not feel the difference, because in both situations I was sustaining a challenging routine; this is one of the things I am grateful for. 

The Project gave me financial support, psychological (it was the first time that I had contact with a psychologist, realizing the importance of such care during troubling times such as college admission exams) and also mentorship, another Gauss component that has a place in my heart.

During this journey it is important to know that there are people that are backing you up, for real. I feel eternal gratitude for Gauss, since they not only helped me get into a nationally recognized medical school but also changed – and will change even more – my family’s reality.” 

“I was born in the Jardim Colombo community, next to Paraisópolis community. I studied in public schools all my life, in the south side of São Paulo. I started working when I was 17 to pay the household bills, because my mother had to take care of my brother with special needs. I learned a lot with my special brother, particularly about emphasizing what really matters: other human beings. 

I worked as a painter’s assistant and got a taste for residential construction, always looking for opportunities to further specialize myself. I took online courses in painting and electrical services at SENAI. I was put in charge of home renovations at 21, the same year when I became a father and decided to go to college. I chose Architecture and wanted to study at Mackenzie. With Gauss’ help, I achieved that dream. Today I am interning at a large construction company and feel much rewarded. And Joaquim, my son, will soon be three years old.”

“Gauss gave me the opportunity to study in one of the best schools, something my parents could not afford. I come from rural Sergipe, Porto da Folha town, and always studied in public schools. Each of my parents receive a minimum wage salary, and their income is stretched thin to cover the household expenses. I would often do my homework at school not to use energy at home, because I knew it would hurt the family’s pocketbook.  With Gauss scholarship I had access to materials and content of quality, which allowed me to move forward.

Everything was so alien to me that sometimes I did not know where to start, but I had mentors who guided me and gave me all the necessary technical and emotional support. Thanks, Flávia and Hans! Gauss nurtured me a lot (even at a distance), through the calming conversations I had with Samuel, when he would emphasize my progress. John’s therapeutic support was also a turning point towards my goal – knowing myself was never as important as during that time.

I can state clearly that Gauss transformed my life for the better. It went beyond a scholarship: I made new friends, acquired experiences, got to know myself and recognized my inner strength. Today I am a medical student at the Sergipe Federal University and I thank Gauss for embracing my life’s history, and my dream.”