From Business Schools to Innovative Education Technology
November 1, 2017
This post is written by Gabriel Quintas de Oliveira who is an Amani Fellow.
There was only a limited amount of miles I was able to let my life run before it hit me. An inner-necessity for self-expression. For too long, I felt like a passenger in my own journey. I studied at a business school because all the cool kids were doing it, then I joined workplaces that had little fit with who I was. My concept of success wasn’t really mine. I was not the author of my own ambitions. I needed something authentic.
After working for 4 years in tech-startups, I started attending gatherings that discussed Brazilian’s social and environmental issues. I was lucky to meet a lot of people and hear about the social innovation post-graduation in Amani. Surprisingly, they offered exactly what I was looking for.
The process was intense and ultimately led me to frame new interests and reflect on what moved me. Though I was not used to speak freely or put myself in vulnerable positions, doing so helped me connect not only with others, but also with myself. This process meant creating a sense of self, others and purpose. And the sense of purpose that I fell in love with was education.
Since crossing different skills can lead us to reach unusual and innovative places, I decided to focus my efforts on technology, which I used to work before Amani, and education, which I started to deep dive during the program. And now, by invitation of two other Amani Fellows, I’ve just joined Geekie, a Brazilian education platform that aims to use technology to personalize how each individual is educated in schools. This is a huge step towards unleashing innate aptitudes contained in each student. I’m really proud to be part of it and the most exciting aspect of what happened this year is that I see no horizon to the amount of miles I’m now willing to let my life run.
If you are also looking to build a career that is more in alignment with your passion and purpose check out our Post-Graduate Certificate Program in Social Innovation Management.
If you have any questions we are happy to help! Just write to: geraldinehepp@localhost
