#PeopleofSTEAM: Meet Luiza

Luiza is a FIRST^® alum who now uses her STEAM skills to build the next generation of STEM innovators as a mentor to her former FIRST team. She is also an English conversation teacher for kindergarten and elementary school students at Colégio Criativo Bauru in Brazil where she began as a substitute robotics teacher. 

Inspired by her time on FIRST^® Robotics Competition Team 7567 “Octopus,” Luiza is now a mentor for the same team and has dedicated over 400 hours to creating a solid base of interest and participation for FIRST programs in Brazil. Driven by new challenges, Luiza aspires to learn more about the world through STEAM and doing her part to change it for the better. In addition to mentoring a team, Luiza is a volunteer Core Values judge for FIRST^® LEGO^® League. 

Inspired by her own former mentors, Luiza feels that they, and participating in FIRST, helped shape who she is today. Learn more about how she is helping to shape future generations and using her STEAM skills to better her community. 

Luiza as a student with Team "Octopus."

FIRST Staff: Can you share some information about your current role at Colégio Criativo? 

Luiza: I currently work at Colégio Criativo, where I initially joined as a substitute robotics teacher for elementary school. For five months, I taught robotics to classes from first to fifth grade, promoting students' development in this area. When the teacher returned, I found an opportunity to keep going and founded a robotics group focusing on elementary school students. This team had the chance to take part in a competition outside of FIRST for the first time, which was inspiring for all involved. Nowadays, as well as working as a mentor, I also teach English conversation classes for kindergarten and elementary school. 

FIRST Staff: What is your favorite part of your current role as a mentor and teacher at Colégio Criativo? 

Luiza: As I entered the world of FIRST, I realized the impact that one action or speech of mine could have on the lives of others. This took on new proportions in my work environment. During our training sessions for our initial FIRST Robotics Competition, a student looked at me with her eyes shining and said, “Teacher, I did not know I liked robotics so much.” That is the moment I love the most: seeing the awakening of this passion that was sparked in me when I participated in FIRST Robotics Competition. It is inspiring to share what drives me, giving them opportunities I did not have at their age. 

FIRST Staff: What is the hardest part of your job? 

Luiza: Allowing my students to stumble and learn from their mistakes is a big challenge for me as it requires constant adaptation and the search for new strategies to develop their autonomy. In English classes, classroom management becomes the most difficult part, as factors such as different personalities and lack of interest have an impact on the process. In addition, this was my first year as a mentor and every day was a new challenge full of learning. Seeing my students and my mentorship skills grow make it all extremely rewarding. 

FIRST Staff: How do you use STEAM skills in your everyday work/life? 

Luiza: I am a person driven by new challenges and I am always involved in developing or supporting research projects, an area that really sparks my passion and maximizes my STEAM skills. My creativity and ability to think outside the box allow me to bring innovation to different contexts, whether it is lesson planning or personal projects. When I encounter barriers, I apply a structured approach similar to engineering. I break down the problem into smaller parts and look for effective solutions, with agility and focus. My STEAM skills allow me not only to understand the world, but to transform it. 

FIRST Staff: Can you share your thoughts on the impact of your personal/professional work in STEAM? 

Luiza: Creating a solid FIRST base in Brazil has always been my biggest dream, inspiring more youth to discover STEAM. Over the last few years, I have dedicated over 400 hours of mentoring to making this dream a reality, contributing to the progress of STEAM in the country, together with the efforts of others. This year, alongside introducing fellow teams to FIRST, we achieved a special feat. We won the “Inspiring Presentation” award in a FIRST Robotics Competition, an award we have always aimed for. 

If all my actions can impact at least one life, then it will all have been worth it. 

Luiza as mentor of Team "Octopus."

Being part of a FIRST Robotics Competition team was a turning point in my life, teaching me the power of transformation. As a participant, I was already involved in social projects, but when I became an alum, I took a step further by founding a team. This was a landmark not only for me, but also for the school where I work which, after 30 years, was finally able to form an official FIRST Robotics Competition team and compete. In addition, keeping my involvement with the community by volunteering both locally and at FIRST events is the core of my vision and mission. 

FIRST Staff: Who is a “Person of STEAM” who inspires you? 

Luiza: My mentors have always been my greatest source of inspiration. Daniel Peral was the first to see my potential, believing in me before I believed in myself. That is true mentorship—not just guiding but seeing the potential we do not yet see. 

Daniele Ortiz, organizer of the FIRST Robotics Competition and FIRST LEGO League events in Brazil, and previous mentor of team “Octopus,” is my role model. She is the person I aspire to be. As a respected woman of STEAM in Brazil, she has shown me that there is a place in STEAM for girls like me. 

If I am who I am today, it is because of both of them. 

FIRST Staff: If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be? 

Luiza: If we do not try, we will never find out if something is really for us. Facing challenges and overcoming fears is what allows us to experience what can become the best part of our lives. If I could talk to Luiza from a few years ago, I would say, “Allow yourself to live this experience. Give it a chance, and I promise you: your life will never be the same again. When you take the first step with courage, you will come across a universe you never imagined that you would love. And you know what? You will fall in love with every single part of it.” 

FIRST Staff: Do you have a message you want to share for students who are participating in FIRST today? 

When you join FIRST you discover a new world. A new passion. It is as if all the years of your life have been waiting for that moment. And now that you are living this experience, make every second really worthwhile. Give yourself wholeheartedly to this experience: be inspired, design, build, connect, present, write, program. But above all, live it intensely and allow yourself to be transformed by it. Remember: FIRST is not just about what you do, it is who you are, and I can assure you that from now on, you and your life will never be the same. 

Are you a person of STEAM? Share your story with #PeopleofSTEAM on social media or send us your story at marketing@firstinspires.org.