 I grew up in Cartagena, Colombia, a city marked by income and social inequality and ever since I decided to offer my curiosity and passion to advocate for those in conditions of vulnerability and who needed the most. Hello, my name is Valentina Mendoza and I'm a recent graduate from the Master's in Economics at Tilburg University. I've decided that my life mission is to offer my curiosity to transform the reality around us. Economics definitely gives you the tools to achieve it, but to really make an impact it's important to understand the ethics behind it and the context that surrounds it. During my Master's program I was able to make an impact by conducting interviews with 60 women in Cartagena from different scars opportunity backgrounds thus being able to observe my city from a different perspective. My thesis was more than just an academic output but rather an intention to give back to these women in Cartagena. The courses from the Master's really helped me to achieve this objective as they were not only theoretical but also delved into practical aspects of economics. This way I was able to acquire a unique perspective from the intersection between social sciences and exact sciences. But life in Tilburg was much more than just classrooms and lectures. I was able to dive into the Dutch culture while also broadening my perspective with my international peers. I received life and professional advice from my professors while also attending different seminars that allowed me to explore my favorite topics. My best advice for future students would be to forget about the preconceived notions of what an economist should be. Instead personalize your journey, choose the subjects and the recent topics that you're really passionate about in order to unlock your full potential.