Blanca García Álvarez

I entered the UFV with two dreams: to be a journalist and to travel to New York. What I didn’t know that September was that by February I would have fulfilled them. I have always been closely related to Human Rights, women’s policies… after all, I study International Relations. Also, my first memory of feminism, the first time I defined myself as a feminist was after Emma Watson’s speech at the United Nations. Having the ability to be in the same place, contributing my bit to the fight for equality was for me a dream and an honor. I lived those days in New York and the UN as if it was my home, I felt in the right place, as the last piece of the puzzle that makes the whole make sense. It was an adventure that has marked me every day since.

Blanca Torres Esteban

Be The Change allowed me to attend one of the most enriching experiences of my life, the trip to the United Nations headquarters. This adventure meant a great change in my expectations for the future. It managed to give a social and international value to my experimental career, showing me that from the scientific field we can also be a powerful agent of change and we have a great opportunity, often little explored.
In addition, attending the place where representatives of each country converge in search of a better future for humanity, gave me a great sense of hope and encouraged me to direct my career towards the same goal. Therefore, I consider it an unforgettable and defining experience, which I would highly recommend to all students of any degree course.

Esther Lence Tallón

Whenever I need to explain my career to someone I can’t help but remember Pilar Giménez that morning when she told me what Be The Change is: “VAS and BTC go hand in hand, we try to help in the same areas (poverty, womens rights and human rights), but in different spheres. VAS does it from trenches and BTC does it from the institutional sphere”. I didn’t know it at the time, but being there meant getting a closer understanding of what I now plan my life towards, getting closer to those areas that touch my heart the most.
Besides the daily work in the alumni society, having the opportunity to experience this Pilar’s description in a practical way at the conferences of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York was an unforgettable experience. There, we witnessed what the United Nations is like from the inside, realizing how the system works and being able to hear first-hand testimonies. It was a week in which I experienced for the first time a hopefully near future.

Menene Oluy Anguesomo

Be The Change brought me closer to three realities:

• Invisible poverty.
• The centers of power and decision making.
• Networking ties.

This approach lead to me to sharpening my sense of responsibility towards the environment around me.

Mariana Lovelo

My collaboration in “Be The Change” goes back to the beginning of this Alumni Society, back in 2006 when we were still called “Women in Europe”. Undoubtedly, it marked my time at UFV, not only because I had the opportunity to be part of the origin; but also because it allowed me to live experiences that I will remember all my life and to meet colleagues who after so many years are still great friends. It is a luxury to be able to share a Society with people who make you broaden your vision of the world and encourage you to always want to go one step further. THANK YOU for making this possible!

Inés Agüero

I went to the United Nations as a student in my first year. The subject had always caught my attention. Without a doubt, it was an unforgettable experience. I met very different people, from different countries and different points of view. Seeing the problems that exist beyond Spain really made me reflect. Especially in relation to discrimination against women. Then, in my second year, I was a scholarship holder. I lived the experience from a different perspective, encouraging others to sign up for this trip. I told them ‘you won’t experience this anywhere else’.