EINA Foundation gives Grants for New Access students to the Bachelor of Design with the intention of stimulating vocation and excellence in the field of design, awards that have been obtained for the academic year 2023-2024 by Simon Fernandez Katz, Talent Grant; together with Laura Álvarez Cañellas, Laia Moliner Martinez and Aina Ventura Malagarriga, New Access Grant.
This academic year Elisabeth Boix Castañe has also been awarded the Extraordinary Prize of the EINA Foundation, which values excellence in the achievement of objectives, talent, motivation and effort, and is a recognition of the academic and personal merits of this first-year student of the Bachelor of Design.
From left to right: Simon Fernandez Katz, Elisabeth Boix Castañe, Laia Moliner Martinez, Aina Ventura Malagarriga and Laura Álvarez Cañellas.
All of them tell us what it has meant to obtain this award and why they have chosen EINA to carry out their Bachelor of Design studies:
Simon Fernandez Katz, EINA Foundation Talent Grant 2023-2024
Simon studied at the Lycée Français in Buenos Aires. "My mother's affinity for design meant that from an early age I had already decided on my university orientation. Barcelona always represented that dream, and both the location and the convictions of EINA seemed like the ideal setting for me to learn and explore all aspects of design," he says.
For him: "Receiving this scholarship is a huge honour for which I will be eternally grateful. I can't wait to integrate and contribute to the community of this school that I am so excited about”.
Laura Álvarez Cañellas, EINA Foundation New Access Grant 2023-2024
Laura has studied the whole of ESO and the baccalaureate at the Ernest Lluch Institute in Barcelona. "I chose EINA because, in addition to considering it the best academic option for me, it had an atmosphere and a philosophy of life and studies that attracted my attention from the start and with which I felt a great connection the first two times I visited. In addition, I was very well received from the first day, which made me feel closer to the school and helped the feeling of belonging to the centre to emerge," she explains.
She adds: "This scholarship is a great help, it's the best opportunity I've ever been given in my life and it gives me a lot of self-confidence to know that so many people believe in me and my abilities (both artistic and personal). I'm really looking forward to starting this new stage in my life".
Laia Moliner Martinez, EINA Foundation New Access Grant 2023-2024
Laia has always been passionate about art. "I studied high school at Escola Massana in Barcelona and I saw that the best continuation for me and my professional aspirations was to study the Bachelor of Design at EINA. This university offers academic programmes and resources that perfectly match my interests and what I want to achieve in the future," she says.
"The scholarship I have received represents great gratitude for my effort and dedication to my studies and my vocation. It is a recognition that values my constant hard work and abilities, and motivates me to continue working with passion to achieve my academic and professional goals. In addition, this award also gives me the opportunity to continue to grow as a professional, as it will give me access to resources that will reinforce my learning and training. I am very grateful and committed to making the most of this opportunity that I have been given", says Laia.
Aina Ventura Malagarriga, EINA Foundation New Access Grant 2023-2024
Aina studied the artistic baccalaureate at the Garbí Pere Vergés school in Esplugues de Llobregat. "I have chosen EINA because I think it can help me to find my own more extensive and detailed vision of design, help me to look for the why of things and encourage and take advantage of my creativity. From what I have seen at the 2022 and 2023 open doors and from what I have been told, I think that the values, the environment and the way EINA educates fit me perfectly," she explains.
And she adds: "This award is a great financial help, but not only that, it is also a push to continue training and furthering my knowledge, and a recognition not only of my academic record, but also of myself".
Elisabeth Boix Castañe, EINA Foundation Extraordinary Prize 2022-2023
Elisabeth will start her second year of the Bachelor of Design next year. "Before attending EINA, I did a CFGS in textile design in Terrassa and an annual course at IED called Global Design. Currently, I work in winter as a ski instructor and during the week in a bakery as a catering coordinator", she explains. catering coordinator", she explains.
She goes on to say: "I participated in the creation of VisibleMask, transparent masks for the deaf and dumb. I also had the opportunity to I also had the opportunity to create the Swaddy, a project for premature children, in collaboration with Hevender, a group of doctors from the Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital. These two projects showed me that I needed a more technical base to be able to continue creating projects like these. create projects like these. It was then that I discovered EINA. I perceived EINA as a university that, in addition to looking after the wellbeing of the students, values creativity and provides tools to get out of the comfort zone and to grow and learn professionally. comfort zone and to grow and learn professionally".
For her: "It is an honor to be recognized for the dedication and effort that sometimes we think only we value ourselves. So, thank you for making me visible, this encourages me even more to keep working with passion. I am very excited and grateful for this special award”.