My validation Experience - Viviane Esposito
Viviane Esposito
My validation Experience
VIVIANE LEUCHTENBERG P.ESPOSITO
Master Student in Ireland
Country Brazil
Since I was a child I was totally curious. I wondered how things were done, like bridges, roads, buildings were built and I always have the desire to be part of something that impacts the lives of others. As a woman, despite the fact that I was not able to do some stereotyped male activities, the feeling that I was capable of doing everything I wanted, if I put all my efforts into it, it was always present in my mind. In this way, I was prepared to study engineering, a diploma with little female representation and have the experience of working in the military service. After 3 years of volunteer military service to my country in Brazilian Arm, I started a new journey in my life. My next goal was to work in a global environment.
Then I began my journey in a multinational company and due to my thirst for learning, I completed three postgraduate courses. After that, I realized that I should broaden my horizons and that a Masters in overseas could be the key to expanding my knowledge and having real contact with a global environment and exchange experiences and professional knowledge. I believe that learning gives me options. Options are opportunities and I am an absolute opportunist. Therefore, I considered an international master the best thing to improve my career.
In my search for master's degree programs Ireland caught my attention. the country has universities ranked among the best in the world and numerous volunteer opportunities. I love doing volunteer work, because I believe it is a unique opportunity to help others, share experiences, actively learn and be able to see the world through the eyes of another culture. I have active experience in volunteering work, since I worked in the armed forces helping in the engineering sector to build highways in places of poor access for the needy population and also as a UN – United Nations on line volunteer helping mapping villages, roads and buildings in rural Tanzania to protect girls from FGM – Female Genital Mutilation.
Therefore, in order to reach my dream I applied for the Government International Education Scholarship. Fortunately, while competing with over 2,000 applications from over 90 countries for the 60 scholarships offered to pursue a Master degree in Ireland, I was awarded by the Higher Education Authority (HEA) for the Government of Ireland - International Education Scholarship (GOI-IES) program.
Since I arrived in Ireland, I have been involved in several volunteer work and when checking the opportunity to be part of the EVA VOL Project I did not think twice because I believe that the program has enormous potential and will contribute to the recognition of those who are involved in volunteering and at the same time allowing validating the knowledge acquired. As a a volunteer for EVA-VOL Online Platform, I have the opportunity of test a project that seeks to validate student learning through volunteer activities and I believe that by volunteering, students gain many leadership, cooperation, problem-solving, and organization skills that are often not seen or formally validated.
During the platform test, I had the opportunity to learn about the European education system, skills and knowledge acquired by the formal and informal system and the forms of validation. I also had the opportunity to apply the project in practice while working in institutions with volunteer programs in Ireland (Limerick City and County Council and Engineers Ireland STEPS Program). In this opportunity, I presented the EVA VOL project and the volunteer coordinators were extremely willing to contribute to the program, carry out the learning assessment questionnaires and be interviewed.
Below is a link to the videos made and interviews with the institutions. All evaluation questionnaires were also carried out and forwarded to the EVA VOL team and communicated to my educational institution.
· EVA VOL Tutorial
· Limerick City and County Council
· Engineers Ireland - STEPS
In this way, I believe in the potential of the program and its dissemination to educational institutions so that in this way the process of validating and recognizing the skills acquired through the non-formal system is carried out effectively.
Research
So that, I'm feeling honored of being part of the test team and I want to get involved as much as possible in Ireland and Europe in terms of volunteering programmes, education, lifestyle, local customs and traditions and country passions.
Volunteering works
· Barnardos Volunteer Team Lider collection day- Ireland Limerick
· EVA VOL - Tester
· STEPS Volunteer Engineers Ireland – Inspiring future gereration
· Limerick OpenHouse (Limerick City and County Council)
· Limerick Culture Night (Limerick City and County Council)
· Lighting Up Christmas in Limerick 2019 (Limerick City and County Council)
· Tesco Volunteer Limerick - Action age works under four themes; Health & Well-being and Ageing in place.
· Limerick Mental Health Week volunteer
· LIT Carrers Fair 2019
· Women Mini Marathon Limerick
· Brazilian Arm
· ON Volunteer online