DECEMBER 20: Catharina Barbosa

NAME: Catharina Barbosa
AGE: 24 years
FROM: Brazil
STUDIES: Masters in Media and Communication

Lundagård meets one student at Lund University every day until Christmas eve. On the 20^th of December, we have Catharina Barbosa, a media and communication masters student from Brazil. Hi Catharina!

What’s a weird thing that has happened during your studies?

Once when we were having a lecture on zoom. Suddenly the professor ended the meeting while he was still talking. Everyone was so confused about what happened and asked in our WhatsApp group. After a while, there was a new link and we re-started. That’s weird but also funny.

If you didn’t have the major you have, what would you study?

I would be studying another field but inside communication, maybe strategic communication, journalism, internal communication, or consultancy. I like to work with people.

What’s your best story from 2021? 

I started working for the university as a student ambassador. When I was new here, I was challenged by the covid situation, and I couldn’t join many extra curriculum activities. Joining the ambassador program for me was life changing because I could meet up with some different people and get to know more about the university and have more connections. It was super fun and a huge opportunity.

What’s your favourite part of Christmas?

Staying with my family, especially cooking together. In Brazil, during the day on 24th, we cook together to prepare for dinner. Each one has a role. Some of my uncles are not skillful at cooking, so they go to the supermarket to buy the ingredients, which is a very important part as well.

What’s your least favourite thing about Christmas?

One thing that I don’t really like, it’s not about Christmas itself, but the celebration of it. Now people just like care about the presents, but they don’t know the Catholic meaning behind the main idea of celebrating Christmas. Sometimes I feel that the real value of Christmas is not recognized.

What’s the best Christmas gift you ever received?

My mindset has changed a bit because when I was younger, I would say that maybe the best gift was my iPhone. But when I started having more experiences and staying away from my family, I understood how valuable it was that we could have time with family and how I missed them. So now the best Christmas gift for me is being able to celebrate with my big family. It’s very challenging to have everyone celebrate together at other festivals, so I think when we are out together on Christmas, it’s when we have the funniest moments and have a strong connection.