"Second year of high school was a very tough year," confesses Ion. Anxiety often overshadowed the academic year, and although he was determined to go to university, he knew that his parents were already making a great financial effort to cover the cost of his psychological support. He didn't want to put more pressure on them. "They told me they would do everything possible, but so that they wouldn't have to struggle, I started looking for scholarships," he explains.

"The coordinator of the U-BAC Scholarships program came to my high school to introduce us to the program," Ion recounts, admitting that before hearing the presentation, he thought that, like the other scholarships he had seen, it would be just another one where he would become a number and not a person with all his complexities. "But I saw that it was a scholarship that went beyond that, that supported people on different levels, and that I could present my personal situation and explain who I was," he says.

Ion decided to apply, and after submitting all the documentation, along with a letter of motivation, he and his parents attended the interview prior to the final selection. "They tried to get to know me beyond the papers and numbers and understand me as a person," he recalls with a smile, highlighting that they even asked him about his hobbies, which he found very funny and distinctive.

"I left feeling happy, although I wasn't sure if would be awarded the scholarship," he admits. A few days later, he received a call from the program coordinator. "She began to explain the meeting with the jury, and as she spoke, I had the feeling that they hadn't awarded me the scholarship," Ion explains, and he admits that when she told him that he had been awarded the scholarship and would be a new U-BAC student in September, he couldn't believe it.

“She also told me that I could have a mentor, and there I was sure that they really cared and wanted me to be the best I could be and truly enjoy university life," Ion admits as he recalls the first meeting with Marcos, his mentor, who gave him a lot of confidence and security. "He always asks me, cares about me, and supports me so that I don't doubt myself," Ion emphasizes.

"For me, as someone who struggles with big changes, this scholarship has been an opportunity to go to university and feel supported, protected, and listened to," he admits, emphasizing that he didn't have anyone around him who had gone to university and could share the experience with him. "Now I am very happy to have support and to be part of such a great group of people."