Be consistent in studying, ask as many times as necessary to avoid doubts, stay motivated and follow through, until you find it, your “passion”. These are the keys that have led two young Asturians to achieving academic excellence and receiving one of the largest scholarships in the country. Oviedo Physics and Mathematics Carmen Ampel Villagra and mierense biotechnology Carlotta Losa Mediavilla They have been awarded a scholarship worth around 100,000 Euros to study a postgraduate degree abroad. The two, together with a hundred students, were chosen by the La Caixa Foundation, which analyzed the trajectories of nearly a thousand young people from all over Spain. Ampel and Loza are indeed promises of Asturian science. Both are considering a PhD: one on infectious diseases, the other on theoretical physics.
“I feel very fortunate but also very proud of myself because I know that it is a very competitive scholarship and that all the efforts that are rewarded are indescribable,” says Carmen Impel. The same feeling is shared by Carlota Losa: “I feel very grateful. For me it is an honor to be one of the la Caixa scholarship recipients. It is a tribute to all my years of study. But I could not have achieved it without all the people who supported me throughout my degree, such as my family or some teachers”. Receiving the award – that is, the scholarship – on the 12th in Madrid from Their Majesties the King and Queen, Felipe VI and Letizia, the Asturians describe the experience as unforgettable. A woman from Oviedo confirms that it was “fantastic” and highlights the great interest that the monarchs have shown in her project. The woman from MER, for her part, recalls that she spoke more with Vice President Nadia Calvino: “She was very kind, telling me that I am a source of pride for Spain.”
in Cambridge and Switzerland
Carmen Ampel is currently studying a master’s degree in Applied Mathematics at the prestigious University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. After graduating in Physics and Mathematics from the University of Oviedo, he discovered that his passion was theoretical cosmology. A project developed within the Asturian Academic Institution’s Theoretical Physics group allowed him to delve deeper into the details of inflation and inflation models, much to his surprise.
Carlota Losa graduated in Biotechnology from the University of Oviedo and was accepted into the famous ETH Zürich in Switzerland to study for a master’s degree in health sciences and technology. His interest in public health, especially infectious diseases, was his main motivation for obtaining more specialized training abroad. This led to applying for the grant. “I also like to learn languages and meet people from different cultures,” he adds. For his part, Ebel reveals that he has taken the step of applying for the “La Caixa” Foundation invitation, after being accepted into the University of Cambridge for “one of the best master’s degrees in theoretical physics in the world,” and also one of the most expensive. Hence, the grant was essential.
Carmen Ampel and Carlotta Llosa have been selected after they have demonstrated “outstanding levels of academic excellence”. What is your secret? Llosa considers perseverance and not leaving things to the last moment as important, as is the willingness to ask questions and clear up doubts with teachers. Ampel, for his part, said that you have to find a “passion” in the field of study in order to enjoy the learning process and maintain motivation throughout the university years. The two offer advice to today’s college students: “They should fearlessly apply what they want to achieve without underestimating their potential.”
La Caixa Foundation Scholarships for Postgraduate Study Abroad covers the full cost of enrollment and provides a monthly stipend. In addition, it is responsible for travel expenses and the pre-university orientation course. “In the first year they gave me about 55,000 euros and this second year I will get another 50,000 euros, so the total scholarship will be around 100,000 euros,” explains Embil, who with Losa is a source of pride for Asturias and an inspiring example for future generations of students.
