24 March is National Student Day, a date that, at the Portuguese Catholic University, is celebrated through the achievements of its students.

Inês Pinheiro, a student at the Braga Campus, 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.

Along the way, she is particularly proud of the ‘creation of the “Ser Social” Student Commission’ and her participation ‘in the “Ser Cuida(I)doso” project’, winner of the Uniservitate 2024 Prize in the Southern Europe region.

This prestigious distinction 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 Portuguese Catholic University 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 student at the Viseu Campus of Católica, highlights her participation in the FLY international volunteering and mentoring project as her greatest achievement.

‘This experience was a real adventure, where I learnt to understand the world better and to be even more certain that small actions can make a difference when it comes to building a better and more supportive world,’ she recalls about volunteering with Cáritas Diocesana de Madrid.

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