Nine asteroids detected, five endorsements from state universities, and one certification from the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI). At the age of 18, Ana Beatriz Rodríguez de Carvalho has accumulated achievements, and just over a month ago, she started another big dream: obtaining a degree in Physics and Mathematics from the University of Campinas (Unicamp).

Still adapting, Ana Beatriz reports that her days are divided between classes and exams, a routine in the student republic where she lives and some walks in the Barao Giraldo district, where the university campus is located. Deciding to enroll in Unicamp, the young woman left endorsements in institutions such as USP, Unesp, UFABC and UNIFEI behind.

According to the student, who completed 43 free courses in astronomy, physics and mathematics, academic life was not easy, but the challenge was surprisingly interesting and exciting. “Once you enter a building that’s a giant library, you study and there are different things you’ve never seen before. It’s really like that. Every day you see something different,” she says excitedly.

One of the main reasons for choosing the University of Campinas, according to Ana Beatriz, is the dream of becoming a researcher in the future. A fan of science and an advocate for the importance of scientific research in Brazil, this young woman is eager to discover what the market has to offer.

The passion for science is not new. In high school, when she had her first contacts with physics at the State Technical School (Etec) in Sapopemba, the student discovered new universes – always led by a dedicated teacher who believed in her potential. And the path taken by the woman from São Paulo shows that he was right.

MCTI bestowed the title of “asteroid hunter” on MCTI’s Ana Beatriz after her participation in the “Caça Asteroides” program, promoted by the Brazilian government in partnership with the US space agency, NASA. The student used to admire the sky, and saw in the initiative an opportunity to contribute to science by observing the universe from inside her home, on the outskirts of the Oriental Region of São Paulo (SP).

Ana Beatriz explains that the astronomy program is open to the public and consists of the analysis of images taken by NASA’s telescope in Hawaii. A report of celestial bodies discovered during the operation is sent to the US agency, which takes up to a year to validate potential discoveries. The detection process is done entirely through software, using cross information, videos and graphics.

The award for the detection of nine asteroids took place in November last year, at a ceremony in Brasilia (DF). To go to town to get a confession, Ana Beatriz says she had to organize a lottery to pay for all the costs.

“[Senti] The joy of knowing I’m going to get an award, the fear of not working out, of not being able to go, of not having the money, anyway. That’s when I opened a lottery. It was a very long process. If I’m not mistaken, I managed to sell out all the issues in about a month. There were days when I didn’t sell anything, I was a little desperate, but it worked out in the end,” she recalls.

After so many honors and accomplishments, it’s not hard to imagine other girls might follow, admire, and be inspired by her story. For them, Ana Beatriz gives important advice on the tip of her tongue: Persevere.