A hard worker and a dreamer, Madalena Afoito, 21, believes that "the best thing in life is to daily contribute to the happiness of others". With this in mind, she chose to study Social Work at Católica. "I went after the dream of working in a profession that would allow me to contribute to improving people's quality of life," she says.

"I'm a very big dreamer in the sense of seeking and believing that it's possible, which is why I chose to study social work and do an internship in a school context, precisely because it's a context where the role of the social worker is most needed," explains the recent graduate.

To make her dreams come true, she chose the Faculty of Human Sciences at the Universidade Católica because of "the prestige of the faculty in the labour market, the excellence of the teaching staff and the possibility of doing an internship for around a year and a half."

3 and a half years later, she looks back on this journey with fondness. "The internship I did at Agrupamento de Escolas da Damaia is undoubtedly one of the moments I'll carry with me forever," she shares. But she also cherishes the merit scholarship won and the "course ambassador" experience, which allowed her to "truly represent FCH-Católica, which was her home and safe haven."

Looking to the future, Madalena, who is already studying for a postgraduate degree in Communication and Positive Psychology at Universidade Católica, says: "My dream is to work every day to improve the world around me, contributing to the affirmation and recognition of the profession of social worker."

For the young woman, "when we talk about Social Work, we inevitably talk about Social Justice as one of the values that guides the intervention of social workers on a daily basis." So, on World Social Justice Day, Madalena emphasises the importance of these professionals whose mission is to eliminate the "obstacles that hinder people's access to their rights."

According to Madalena, "equal opportunities, solidarity and respect for human rights are central to social work." It is with the aim of defending these values that in March she starts "a professional internship as a pedagogical technician at Sporting Clube de Portugal."

In this context, she will be working "with young footballers at the Cristiano Ronaldo Academy, in terms of reconciling school, family and training." Excited to begin this new challenge, the young dreamer explains: "I will be the bridge between all parties to ensure that the young footballers complete their journey and fulfil their dreams."