A Success Story

Wendell de Lima Barreto, recruited by DLW in 2015, is an old student at DLW and has a success story that is always used as an example for newer participants. Not long ago Wendell wrote a short text about his story and DLW’s role in his life.

“My mother works as a domestic and my father is a doorman. They raised two children with great difficulty and always encouraged us to study, so that we could have a different life from theirs. However, like most boys, I wanted to play football”, says Wendell about his family and childhood.

“In 2014, I discovered Karanba, a DLW partner social project that focus on education and sports, and started playing soccer there. I dreamed of being a professional football player, because I thought it was the only way to change my life story”, he continues.

“A while later I realized it was going to be hard to become a player, so I decided I wanted to study something, but I wasn’t sure what. That’s when I discovered Dream Learn Work, at a workshop at Karanba”, writes Wendell about understanding the need to study and first contact with DLW.

“I didn’t know what I wanted and decided to get into the electrical area to see if I with identify myself with that career. I started with a short course in electrical installations, and even though I didn’t understand much at first, I liked it a lot, so I continued to take smaller courses in the area.

I really identified with it, so I continued up to the technical level, which I finished last year. Also last year, I participated in a mentoring program with a great professional from Equinor, a renowned multinational company, also a DLW partner, that helped me a lot to plan my career further”, he writes about his experiences with DLW.

Speaking of mentoring, Wendell states that contact with professionals is very important for young people, as it helps them develop and better understand how the job market works. About the difference DLW made in his life, he raises one more point: “I used to be a very shy guy, but thanks to Dream Learn Work I was challenged to give presentations and lectures, which in the beginning left me very nervous, but then I got used to it. These challenges made me become a more communicative person and that has been very good for me. ”

Still about the institution, he continues: “Certainly Dream Learn Work has completely changed my life. I went from being a boy who didn’t expect much from my life to someone who is currently a college student in Electrical Engineering with a scholarship of 100%. Also at the beginning of this year I had some great news, after a lot of effort taking the courses in the area, I got my first formal job as an electrician”.

Wendell is one of the 21 DLW students attending a university, a very significant mark achieved in 2019. In addition, approximately 30 students have taken this month the national exam that gives access to the university with entry in 2020, meaning that this number will be even higher next year.

“Today I have the dream of becoming an electrical engineer and showing other young Brazilians that it’s possible for someone like me, who grew up in a community, to get a good education and succeed in life through studying,” ends Wendell with an inspirational message to other participants.