Hailing from Brazil, Catharina shares her experience at IE University with us:
What do you like the most about the Bachelor’s in Communication and Digital Media?
As I speak 4 languages – German, Portuguese, English, and Spanish -, I love communicating with people. This may sound like a simple answer, but it’s the truth. I have always been fascinated by how films, social media, radio and other means of communication have been able to connect people, not only emotionally, but also by spreading awareness about political movements, such as the flight for human rights. Back in Brazil, I worked as a spokesperson in the fight to end violence against women. Since then, I have developed an app that maps out sexual harassment and crimes against women on the streets. For me, speaking in public and voicing my opinion has always been a part of who I am both professionally and personally. This love for public speaking and languages led me to pursue a Bachelor’s in Communication and Digital Media at IE University. The highlight of this degree is that our professors do not only teach, but they also are leaders in the workforce. For example, my journalism professor has appeared multiple times on the front page of many prominent and international newspapers. Our professors not only know what they are teaching about when it comes to theory, but they also share their first-hand experiences with us, which in turn, helps us become more successful. Learning from an expert who has had success in the areas we want to work in the future has been an incredible and unique opportunity.
Are you inolved with any extracurricular activities?
I am involved with a handful of activities on campus. Currently, I dedicate most of my time to the Communication Committee for Student Government, which involves producing content and managing a social media account. I also attended the Start-Up Lab last year to develop my app overseas. Lastly and most importantly, I am proud to say that I am currently a member of the Innovation Fellow Program of Stanford University together with Giulia Camargo, Samuel González and Guzman Noya. In this a design-thinking program, we learn hands-on how to tackle issues in order to transform them into opportunities for our university. We were responsible for the “sticky notes” campaign around campus and the video-call between our both our Madrid and Segovia campuses, which were both successful campaigns involving both our student body and faculty. The campaign #LetTheConnectionBegin was a solution we found to connect both campuses in an engaging and entertaining way.
How has been your experience in Segovia?
I really enjoy living in Segovia thanks to its relatively relaxed environment. I believe it’s the perfect location to start my university career, as it is a safe place to both learn and discover my passions. However, I am also really excited to continue my studies next year in Madrid. I consider myself more of a city girl since I have lived most of my life in São Paulo, a city with about 32 million people.
How did you hear about the Crowdsourcing Global Conference?
I heard about the Crowdsourcing Global Conference through IE’s weekly emails that share both internship and event opportunities. The email about the conference caught my eye and I thought, ”why not?”. The conference in itself seemed interesting and I decided it would be a great opportunity to increase my knowledge regarding crowdsourcing. So after filling out the form, I applied!
What is the Crowdsourcing Global Conference about?
Crowdsourcing involves reaching out to different groups of individuals in order to obtain their opinions or expertise in order to solve a problem or create a solution. Based on the principle that two heads are better than one, crowdsurfing is used as a way to tackle a larger task and split it up into smaller assignments among a team of individuals. By being able to ask thousands of people online to perform a task, it is more likely that the problem will be solved efficiently since everyone will bring forward their best qualities and expertise.
I see crowdsourcing as the future and it is important for my generation to learn how to implement this tool. The conference covers a variety of topics, including innovation, business, individuals, and governments. As it is hosted in Washington, D.C., where the US Government frequently uses crowdsourcing, it is the perfect location to host this event.
Personally, I am really interested in the conference as I would love to work in a tech company or a similar field in the future and I know that staying at the top of my game is really important. Also, I have always been fascinated by how technology can be used in a decentralized way to help improve society.
What would you recommend to future students that want to apply to this conference?
Just apply! Don’t be afraid of not being accepted. Sometimes in life, you just have to take risks and bite the bullet. Take the plunge and send it in!
