Student Amanda Vitória Martins, from class C of the 12th year of the secondary school of Senhora da Hora, was selected at the Lisbon National Session, to go to Riga, Latvia, to participate in the International Session of the European Youth Parliament, which will take place between the 23rd and 30th of July.
NM spoke with Amanda Martins:
Who is Amanda Martins?
I am a young woman who came from Brazil six years ago with her family for her parents' professional reasons, and during this period I had the experience of living and being in contact with the culture of two different countries (Spain and Portugal). During this time I was challenged to learn two other languages in addition to my own, during my student career at an American school, two Spanish schools and finally a Portuguese school where I concluded the 12th year.
And it was at this school where I finished my high school career, that my ability with the English language and my dynamism in the classroom aroused the interest of English teacher Fátima Guimarães, who introduced me to the EYP. In this same school, she was part of the restructuring of the Student Association, where I act as president of the board. All these experiences and challenges have added to and enabled growth and maturation both as a person and as a young citizen.
Was Amanda selected to participate in the international session of the European Youth Parliament? How did this selection happen?
This selection was a very interesting process, first I had to participate in the regional session of the EYP that included several people from different schools in Porto, this session was online and depending on the performance of each one, we would then move on to the national session. The national session took place this year in Lisbon, it was 4 days of a lot of research and work, we were divided into committees, where each committee had a topic of profound relevance to the European community and even the world today. During these four days we were evaluated in different aspects, both in performance and individual work, as well as in teamwork, our research skills and knowledge of each topic, the resourcefulness in speaking and expressing ourselves to others, and also the English level.
In this event there were many young people from different parts of the country, in search of new
experiences, knowledge and to develop more and more in different areas. Among just over 100 young people, 28 were selected for several international sessions taking place in Europe between the summer of this year and the beginning of next year. Along with them I was also selected, based on the above criteria, to be in Riga, Latvia, between the 23rd and 30th of July.
What is the European Youth Parliament?
The EYP is an educational program that brings together young people from across Europe to
debate on topics of global relevance for our generation and the future. Its mission is to inspire and empower a generation of informed, responsible people and active citizens with an open mind, who will shape and impact society.
What do you expect with this representation?
I hope to continue learning more every day, to become an increasingly informed and aware person about the matters of great importance dealt with in the EYP. I also hope to become an inspiration to other young people who, like me, are interested in working for change and improvement in the world.
We know that a trip to Latvia is expensive, do you have any support?
Not yet, but my family is making an effort so that I can go and be a part of this experience so rewarding and important for my personal growth.
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