Born in the capital of Rio Grande do Norte, Esiêdla Pereira de Andrade, 37, found in Lajes, a city about 125 kilometers from Natal, the starting point for graduating in the distance learning Geography degree course by the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte. The site is home to the Presential Support Center, which houses the infrastructure to help students during the days of group or individual academic activities.

For Esiêdla Andrade, distance learning means having the autonomy to develop her own methods that encourage and facilitate learning: “I was able to harmoniously combine my studies and my work, without trauma or stress. The dedication had an effect; on the day of her graduation, November 23, 2021, Esiêdla received, live, the announcement that she had been awarded the prize.

“Besides being surprised, it is very gratifying to have UFRN’s recognition of our efforts and challenges during our 4-year trajectory,” she said, talking about the feeling of receiving the academic laurel. Now, her plans are to acquire more knowledge in the area so that she can be an increasingly qualified professional who is attentive to the needs of her students and the school community.

Chemistry at Costa Branca

The city of Macau, on the Costa Branca, is the main producer of sea salt in Brazil and of oil in Rio Grande do Norte. It was there where Thiago Winicio Rocha Lima, his family’s first college graduate, was born. A recent graduate in distance learning Chemistry, he recalls the main difficulties during the study period: “being faithful to the schedules I created for myself and to the dates of tests and assignments”.

Also according to Thiago Winicio, this is the second undergraduate degree he has completed in the EaD modality. The first was a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, in 2015, also from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte: “being able to also study Chemistry, in this modality, was a dream, since I love this science and for eight years I’ve been working in the area as a chemistry technician at Petrobras”.

Upon receiving his academic degree on the afternoon of November 19, 2021, at UFRN’s Central Campus in Natal, Thiago says he had to explain to his parents what it was all about, because they didn’t have the dimension of the importance of that moment. “The passion for Chemistry made me have discipline and dedication to the subjects, read each page of the textbooks with attention, trying to assimilate each concept, I gave my maximum to be different”, he said when affirming that the next step, in the academic career, will be to apply for a place in a master’s course.

Bruno Cássio – Communication Advisor of SEDIS/UFRN.