Undergraduate degree
In 2012, I was accepted into the Journalism program at the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo, which is ranked as one of Brazil’s top three private universities by QS World University Rankings 2025.
In my undergraduate final thesis, I comprehensively analyzed women’s influence in Candomblé, an African-based religion. I must admit that my interest in researching religions was rooted in a personal discovery. After living in the United States and having close contact with the Mormon religion, I realized how much religions had a significant cultural impact.
To accomplish my plan, I extensively reviewed the existing literature. Employing an organized timeline based on the findings from my literature review allowed me to gain a nuanced perspective on the historical context. The project’s second challenge involved interviewing influential women of the Candomblé religion and making a field trip to visit “Terreiros” (the physical space of the religion).
The outcomes were gratifying, revealing profound insights into the cultural impact of women not only in religion but also on Brazilian culture. The results were presented to an evaluation committee as a Women of Candomblé book.