Melissa
I’m an 18-year-old Mexican studying Civil Engineering in France, living passionately and with full awareness of what shapes my reality: my calling, my passions, and the people and dreams that give them purpose. Thankfully, throughout my life, I’ve seized the opportunities that have let me develop in music, languages, and science. I’ve played the violin since I was ten, and thanks to my family, amazing teachers, and a lot of hard work, I’ve reached a level that lets me appreciate and express this art in many ways.
I’m a challenge-seeker. The reason for this is that challenges make us grow. I decided, then, to pursue a challenging career in a third language, in a different country, after having lived my entire life in a small city that lacks urban planning. Thanks to my education, I’ve discovered the fascinating world of science and construction, and how through smartly crafted tools, we can make people’s lives better. It’s the perfect example of a win-win, where the satisfaction of building and finding solutions as a team blends with creations that improve the quality of life. Our cities and the paths that connect them shape our homes, so their design, thought and work rest forever in our experiences and memories.
I have loved developing my English and French. It is enriching to communicate with languages that have their own personality, nuances, and even a whole integrated culture. After two years of training, I embarked into a new life full of French, from my professional preparation to my day-to-day life. In life, I struggle, I crack my head, I take my body to failure at the gym, and at the end, it all contributes to my happiness. The struggle makes the results satisfactory and meaningful, and even during the toughest days, there are moments of joy.
I enjoy reflecting on my experiences, my decisions, and my feelings because that way I know myself better and find the lessons to keep in mind. I’ve gotten this far thanks to my work, yes, my passion, my time, my discipline, my motivations, yes. But also thanks to so many people that have shown me their love and support in priceless ways, and the best part is that they keep doing so. That is why one of my main values is gratitude. Naturally, thanks to this, I keep moving forward, embracing the support that makes it all possible.
flight plan
February 2026
February was an amazing month. I have a new class of Public Works in which I’ve learned so much. I now know the composition of roads, the different materials and engines that can be implemented, and a very interesting process to graphically represent projects in their natural ground. To get these crosswise and longitudinal profiles, we work with altitudes, topography, gaps, trig, slopes, and much more. To decide on the different thicknesses of each layer and the extra materials to implement (like geotextiles), we must study the state of the soil and figure out the rest through regulated graphs.
Apart from this, I got the opportunity to visit an amazing landscape in Etretat, Normandy. It concerns its great cliffs with majestic arcs and super clean and blue water and green grass. It was a really enriching experience, especially because it was my first trip planned by me, and it all turned out well. The town was gorgeous, and I got a new perspective of the value of the cultural heritage and natural beauty
January 2026
I am starting this year with great enthusiasm and a clearer vision of what lies ahead in this second semester of my degree. My new classes have particularly caught my attention. In just the first week, I learned how to draw longitudinal and cross-sectional profiles of basins, a fundamental skill for public works planning, and I have delved deeper into subjects such as granulometry, thermal and moisture transfers, materials, and topography.
I also feel more connected to my group. I am now in the same group as friends I spent time with last semester, and there is a strong, harmonious, and united team spirit. Saying goodbye to a close friend who is returning to Spain has been difficult, but at the same time, I feel deeply grateful to have met her and to have shared so many enriching experiences with her and with my other international friends. The last few days were truly special, making the most of our time together by visiting the Louvre and walking through the beautiful streets of Paris.
December 2025
This month, I had the opportunity to enrich my perceptions of friendship, culture, work, and leisure. I got to know some international students who welcomed me into their friend group. They’ve only known each other for five months, and yet it feels as if they’ve been friends their whole lives. Being out in the world, spending time with others, opens the door to fascinating conversations.
As they returned to their countries to celebrate with their families, that didn’t stop me from going out to Paris on my own—visiting galleries, becoming more familiar with the streets and districts, and putting my sense of orientation into practice. I also went out with my French friends, who introduced me to more castles and delicious food.
I volunteered to wrap gifts at a gift store. The donations from the store’s clients supported the construction of a school in Madagascar through the Rafamiray Jeunes association. It was my first time wrapping gifts, so at the beginning I had a hard time working under pressure. However, after a while, I got the hang of it and strengthened my customer service skills. It was a fun experience, and I met some truly special people. Annie, the head of the association, appreciated my attitude and the way I worked. Through our conversations, she gave me the contact of a company they collaborate with that could help me find a construction firm for my spring internship.
I worked on several school projects, and even though they required a lot of time, energy, and caused some stress, I loved what I was doing. My school has been preparing us from an early stage to work as professionals, using real-world project types. The complexity is already there: surface area quantifications, prime costs, net selling price calculations, estimated bills of quantities, formwork plans, and land parcel studies.
And there was time for leisure too. It’s crucial to clear your head at some point during the day. Sometimes, just going out for a walk is enough. One day, I discovered a forest with a gigantic lake and beautiful paths. I walked, jogged, and ran, breathing in the fresh air.
November 2025
Yesterday, someone asked me what animal I identify with, and the first thing that came to my mind was a bird because they fly in the infinity of the sky. They embrace the opportunities of the journey and the freedom that comes with simply existing. This month has been a reflection of that part of me, and also of my squirrel side, the one that gets excited about so many little moments throughout the day. Even when I’m stressed or facing something difficult, I stay in a good mood. I think it’s because all of it is accompanied by so many good, enriching things.
This month, my supergirls team and I finished a “plan de repérage” for the first building in a new project. We went through each level, from the parking lot to the third floor, and marked where all the main structural elements went. We started from the top, comparing the plans of the attic and the floor below so we could place the beams that support the walls. Then, we added the drop beams above the windows, the columns that continue through the different floors, and the interior load-bearing walls. After that, we marked the embedded beams that help keep everything stable, and finally the simple partitions that just divide the rooms. It was a lot of coordination, but super satisfying to see everything align from the attic all the way down to the parking lot.
Throughout the month, I also had the chance to meet amazing people in enriching circumstances. I met some friendly Italians on a little outing in Paris. We had such great conversations about adapting to a new place full of movement and possibilities, about relationships, personal growth, curiosity, and languages, all while eating Lebanese food, sipping coffee, and soaking in the Christmas atmosphere of the streets and main spots. The city is sparkling with lights, and you can really feel the holiday magic. Hearing them speak in Italian made me want to learn it, and I realized my university library has so many resources for language learning. I borrowed some books to start, looking for something interactive but with structured grammar lessons, and they even had CDs! With my background in learning French, I knew exactly what to look for.
I also had an unforgettable experience going to the Les Demoiselles de Rochefort play at the Lido theater on Champs-Élysées, organized for free by the French teaching committee from my classes. I was blown away. Everything was breathtaking from the very first scene — the colors, the dances, the backflips, the scenery, the expressions, the energy. But the best part? The music. I got to sit right by the hidden musicians, pouring their hearts into every note. I could feel it deep in my chest, especially as a musician, knowing what it’s like to be surrounded by music or an orchestra. It was a completely new and powerful experience.
On top of that, I met more incredible people there. I connected with a Spanish girl, who shared about her biomedical engineering career, her life, and so many things that felt aligned with my own interests. She’s a musician too and plays the guitar! We clicked so well that she invited me to a Christmas show at the historical castle of my commune and to a Mexican meal hosted by her Mexican friend, where other international friends would join.
Just saying yes to opportunities opens so many doors — culturally, socially, academically, and intellectually. The world out there really feels infinite.
October 2025
It’s been two and a half months since I started living in France, and throughout this time, I’ve realized how living in a different country, with its own culture, language, education system, and routines, broadens and reshapes one’s perspective.
We adapt to our surroundings to thrive within them, without forgetting where we come from or what we’ve already learned. This experience builds upon that to refine it and open new ways of thinking.
I’m calculating forces and loads, analyzing CCTPs, developing budgets, doing topographic leveling, and recognizing more and more elements from real construction projects.
I’m diving into an ever-evolving field, as there will always be something to build and remodel, and the world is developing new technologies to seek greater efficiency and new ways of solving problems. Now that I’m in this environment, these approaches feel closer and clearer.
Even though I’m pursuing a tough rhythm at school where I’m constantly demanding a lot from my brain, it is a fulfilling process and I can feel myself growing more prepared each day.
September 2025
It’s already been a month since I embarked on this new, exotic, and crazy adventure. In just thirty days, I’ve had countless conversations with others and with myself, and my mind has begun to open at a speed that caught me by surprise.
My civil engineering program is so dense that I normally spend ten hours a day at school, eight of which are dedicated to classes. I have so many teachers and courses that my schedule changes each week. I either have Cours Magistraux, Travaux Dirigés, or Travaux Pratiques, which change the size of my class depending on the focus (practical or theoretical).
Every day, I learn new things. I have to adapt to a new way of organizing numbers, applying trigonometry to real civil engineering situations, and using my logic for unique subjects such as Material Resistance, which encompasses forces, units, balances, physics, parabolas, geometry, and more. With each lesson, I connect more dots.
My class is amazing. Everyone is very kind and curious about my origins, as I am the only foreign student in my TD group. They are eager to learn and ask many questions.
Learning in a third language that’s neither English nor Spanish has definitely been a challenge. I must put extra effort into concentrating as I go through my day, but overall, I manage well. I live the language as I talk with my new friends and roommates, as I solve issues with my accounts, and as I prepare to become an engineer.
There have been tough times. During the first week of school, I made a silly mistake in my design evaluation that affected the entire assignment. I constantly have a heavy load of subjects to study, but even then, I make time to unwind and keep practicing sports and the violin. This balance helps me breathe before another study session.
I encourage myself even when I feel very confused about something. For instance, I had a class I’d never taken before (Fluid Dynamics) and the teacher gave the class as if everyone already had at least fifty percent of the context. This was a call to action that led me to catch up by taking a full Khan Academy course over the weekend.
For the first time in my life, I have the freedom to do whatever I want, whenever I want, and I’m learning to handle that responsibly, which feels natural. I go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day, compare prices to shop for groceries smartly, and keep the order and cleanliness in my apartment.
Even though I’m thousands of miles away from the people I love and those who support me, I feel you all so close. My gratitude is endless
Summer 2025
I said goodbye to my orchestra friends and teachers and performed the final piece at my recital, a truly epic conclusion. My violin teacher encourages me to keep playing, telling me that I’ve now reached a level he saw during his own college years. I’ll be moving with my violin by my side.
This month, I also completed some procedures for my apartment in France and submitted my administrative registration for school. I’ll be able to move forward as soon as the offices return from vacation.
In the meantime, I’m enjoying my last weeks in Cabo with friends and family, and reading a fascinating book the foundation gifted me. It explores structures from biology to engineering, explaining stress, strain, and the history of structural discoveries in a way that’s easy to understand. I love how it highlights rivalries between philosophers, scientists, and practical builders, all of which feels deeply relevant to my future career.
June 2025
This month, I traveled to Mexico City for my visa appointment at the French Embassy. At first, I thought I would have to explain the financial documents in detail, such as the bank statements and pay slips they requested, but in the end, I only had to hand them in the order they asked for. They took my fingerprints, and I left my passport. After that, I took the opportunity to get my four wisdom teeth removed so I wouldn’t have to deal with it while living abroad, and just a week later, I received my passport at home with my visa stamped.
At the end of June, I got my INE in order to open a Mexican bank account, as well as my apostilled certificate and no marriage record, which I needed for some procedures in France, such as getting my social security number and applying for housing financial aid.