Motivation Letter - UCR

Dear UCR,
My name is Luisa Franco do Amaral Laino. I am originally from Brazil. I am also an Italian
citizen but in the process of acquiring my EU passport. I have lived in Sweden during 2016, but I
currently live in The Netherlands. I study at the International School Breda where I am following the last
year of the IB program.
When searching for universities in Brazil, I found the idea of picking an area of study daunting
and incredibly restricting. Choosing one felt like I would be limiting myself to a single field. When I
discovered the Liberal Arts and Sciences course at the University College Roosevelt, I was intrigued by
the interdisciplinary curriculum and the freedom of molding it into a broad spectrum of interests. It is
delightful to have the possibility to combine the subjects I am most passionate about.
I find myself drawn to many fields of study, and psychology has always been a topic that sparked
my innate curiosity. Growing up, I had the privilege of having a psychologist in my family who lent me
many books related to psychology and behaviorism. This allowed me to explore my curiosity by reading
and learning about the wonders of the human brain. Furthermore, before I moved to the Netherlands, I
followed two years of high school in Brazil in which all humanities and sciences were encompassed.
There, I developed an interest in natural sciences, specifically biology. My curiosity led me to explore the
field even more, so I took a six-month biomedicine workshop at the University of São Paulo. It was truly
fascinating to study the human body and its particularities in depth. Additionally, I often enjoy pushing
myself to learn something different. During my studies at the IB program, I took the opportunity to study
Economics for the first time. By pursuing this challenge, I completed three research papers where I
applied theoretical economics to real-life problems to find viable solutions. I am also involved with arts
and literature. Some of my hobbies are reading thrillers and drawing. It is incredibly rewarding to use the
knowledge I gained during my Language and Literature lessons. I am also capable of analyzing the
literary features of the books I read and reach a deeper understanding of the author’s message. I also apply
visual techniques in my drawings to make them more aesthetically pleasing and convey the message I
intend to.
What convinced me to apply to UCR was the broad and structured approach offered, I believe it
will allow me to explore many fields and further my studies. I find the personal and active teaching
method used at UCR striking, the exchange of ideas in a classroom where the students have direct contact
with the professors is especially compelling to me. The dynamic classes and projects will reinforce my
curiosity and provide an atmosphere where personal experiences and points of view can be shared.
Furthermore, the orientation period of the first year gives me the conviction that all fields will be
properly explored, providing me with an opportunity to see in practice how different subjects intertwine.
Having this foundation and understanding of the interdisciplinary aspects of different fields will allow me
to expand my interests and mold my curriculum based on what I identify with the most. All the academic
departments have their own particularity that I would like to delve into. Some of the courses I am most
interested in are Cognitive Science, Psychology, Economics, and Art history.
The international environment at UCR is also something I highly identify with. Moving from
Brazil to Sweden in 2016 and the Netherlands in 2019 I found that conversations with multicultural
people can bring a new understanding of the subject being discussed. Additionally, being part of a
welcoming atmosphere where knowledge is freely shared is something that I relish. I believe that the
personal and diverse nature of URC is a place where I can grow intellectually and socially. I enjoy having
contact with the community around me. In the past year, I learned how captivating it is to be close to my
classmates and share our cultures when I hosted two Ukrainian exchanged students, with whom I created
many great memories. I look forward to living at the UCR campus and getting to know its community.
I believe that compassion for others is the greatest skill one can possess. My personal goal is to
pursue a career in which I can apply my knowledge and capabilities to improve our society. This goal has
been part of my life since my childhood. When I first noticed the social discrepancy between social
classes in my home country, Brazil, I did not feel comfortable with the injustices I faced in society. From
an early age, I started to volunteer in the community I was into. In my home country, I was part of the
Planeta Verde NGO where I volunteered for a myriad of things, such as raising money to finance the
construction of water banks to communities in semiarid regions of Brazil and funding reforestation
projects on deforested areas of São Paulo. I was also part of the GACC (Assistance Group for Children
with Cancer) in São José dos Campos Brazil, where I helped organize events and raised money to support
children that suffered from cancer. I try to keep the same spirit in all the countries I move to, and when I
came to The Netherlands I decided to do the same. I volunteered for one of the Tara Bodong projects
called “Give a Phone, Help a Girl”. I helped collect old electronics to generate funds to improve the
education of girls in Lumla. As for now, I am part of the GSA (Gender & Sexuality Alliance) school
committee where we bring awareness about the LGBTQIA+ community to students and teachers by
organizing school events such as the Purple Friday, a day where the students and teachers can wear purple
to show solidarity to the LGBTQIA+ community. I plan on carrying my goal forward and hopefully use
the expertise offered at UCR to approach it from different perspectives.
Now that I have shared another side of me, I hope UCR will consider me a prospective student.
Thank you for your attention,
Luisa Laino.

Motivation Letter - UCR

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Motivation Letter - UCR

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Motivation Letter - UCR

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Dear UCR,

Thank you for your attention,

You might also like