Eina Foundation announces the Grants for New Access students to the Bachelor’s Degree in Design, aiming to promote vocation and excellence in the field of design. The awards for the 2025–2026 academic year have been granted to Duna Flores Montolio, Talent Grant; along with Gina Buiatti Otegui, Gabriela de Jesús Gallardo, and Alba Julià Fernández, New Access Grants.
This academic year, the Extraordinary Award from Eina Foundation has also been granted to Helena Alayrach Mestres, in recognition of her academic and personal merit, as well as her excellence, talent, motivation, and effort as a first-year Design student.
From left to right: Gabriela de Jesús Gallardo, Gina Buiatti Otegui, Alba Julià Fernández, Duna Flores Montolio, and Helena Alayrach Mestres.
Each of them shares what receiving these awards has meant and why they chose Eina to study the Bachelor’s Degree in Design:
Duna Flores Montolio, Eina Foundation Talent Grant
Duna, previously trained at the Institut del Teatre, especially values the sense of freedom and open spirit at Eina: “Eina really stands out to me because it’s a place that isn’t afraid of difference, and I believe it can give me strong training both theoretically and creatively.” She also highlights the atmosphere, facilities, and human connection: “The facilities bring me a great sense of peace, and the people I know who study here seem very interesting. I feel that positive energy is contagious, and that we can learn a lot from each other as students.”
Duna receives the grant with great joy and excitement: “I love that authenticity and craftsmanship are appreciated alongside today’s digital design, even though we live among new technologies,” she says. She also emphasizes the importance of these kinds of awards: “If it weren’t for the grant option, there would be undiscovered talents who couldn’t study where they dream of studying. Everyone deserves to study what they’re passionate about.”
Gina Buiatti Otegui, Eina Foundation New Access Grant
Gina is from Lloret de Mar, where she studied at Immaculada Concepció. Now, she takes a step forward in her academic journey by choosing Eina, a university she describes as very complete in every aspect. What stood out to her most, however, was that each student has a personal mentor.
For her, receiving the grant was key to making her university dream come true: “It means I’ve reached my goal. It gives me the confidence that I’ll study what I love, where I love, and I already feel included even before starting.”
Gabriela de Jesús Gallardo, Eina Foundation New Access Grant
Gabriela studied at Institut Celestí Bellera in Granollers. For her, Eina is a school that resonates with her identity and creative approach. She highly values the individualized follow-up students receive and the professional opportunities offered. “I’m really motivated to experiment and innovate with things I’m passionate about,” she says.
For Gabriela, receiving the grant represents a great opportunity to face her academic future with confidence and to take full advantage of everything she will learn. Beyond the financial support, the grant holds emotional value. At first, she hesitated to apply, but advice from someone who had gone through the same process encouraged her: “Even if you don’t know whether you’ll succeed, there’s nothing to lose by trying.” Those words changed her perspective: “This grant is a reminder that even when something feels hard or nearly impossible, it’s always worth trying,” she affirms.
Alba Julià Fernández, Eina Foundation New Access Grant
After studying her baccalaureate at EASD Llotja, Alba decided to continue her academic path at Eina “because I like the methodology, which allows me to choose subjects based on my interests and explore different areas of design. I was also drawn to the welcoming environment and the quality of the facilities,” she comments.
With enthusiasm, she highlights: “For me, this award represents the opportunity to study design at Eina, which makes me very happy and motivates me to start building my future.”
Helena Alayrach Mestres, Extraordinary Award from Eina Foundation
Helena studied at Jesuites de Casp and chose Eina after attending an open day. “I didn’t know much about the university or anyone studying there. I was fascinated by the creative atmosphere and the family-like feeling conveyed by both teachers and students,” she recalls.
Receiving the Extraordinary Award was a pleasant surprise for her. “This award is a motivation for me. I’m very grateful because it’s a push to keep experimenting and to let myself be guided by the tools the university gives us, applying them to my world of curiosity and personal exploration,” she explains.