From Brazil via Portugal to Ghent

BELGIUM (HQ) – Our future is important, in different ways. Young researchers, new and greener technologies, creative insights, … As a family business, Christeyns attaches importance to a strong, but family-oriented workforce made up of experts, one by one. That is why we think it is important to offer young people the chance to develop on-the-job. We therefore welcome trainees with open arms and are happy to assist them in their learning process.

From Brazil via Portugal to Ghent

Since a few weeks you can find intern Sara in the Christeyns lab. Sara started her chemical engineering studies in Brazil, but the corona pandemic made her decide to move to Portugal to complete her bachelor degree there.

For her bachelor internship Sara went looking for an interesting internship in Belgium where she found it at Christeyns. Thanks to the R&D experience she had already gained during her studies in Brazil, it turned out to be a perfect match. In the meantime plans are being made to finish her master’s degree here in Flanders.

How did Sara end up in a lab?

Sara grew up in Rio, and in her immediate surroundings chemistry and engineering were unknown concepts. With the full support of their parents, Sara’s brother set an example and started studying mechanical engineering. Sara also got the chance to study. It was one of her professors who could talk about chemistry and its countless applications with enormous passion that sparked her interest.

To turn the tables for a moment, we asked Sara to rate Christeyns with a number from 0 to 10. Without any doubt, she gave us a big 10. Maybe because her own marks depend on it, but especially for the helpful colleagues and the well-equipped lab, she told us.

She hasn’t made any major blunders during her internship at Christeyns, although she can get nervous when her mentor asks her a lot of questions. A healthy dose of stress is of course part of the game during an internship.

That’s how sara came from Brazil via Portugal to Ghent.

Thank you Sara for joining the Christeyns team. We wish you every success in completing your studies, whether in Belgium, Portugal or Brazil.