ESEG – Faculdade do Grupo Etapa holds graduation ceremony for Production Engineering graduates.

Guests were able to participate in the event in person, following safety protocols.

The emotion was palpable among graduates, friends, and family at the graduation ceremony for the Production Engineering course, which took place on Saturday, February 19th. The now-engineers were present in the Leonardo da Vinci Noble Hall – located on the Paraíso Campus of ESEG – to celebrate the moment they transitioned from students to graduates.

Professor Pablo Ganassim, the event's master of ceremonies, thanked the guests and offered a few words. 'The completion of a course is certainly a reason for celebration. After all, it represents an achievement, the unique effort of each graduate in the pursuit of knowledge and recognition. And the graduation ceremony is a milestone in this celebration. It is at this moment that each graduate shares their joy and expresses gratitude to all who, in some way, contributed to this victory. A victory that, incidentally, should reflect in the evolution of each one, as a person and as a professional. For ESEG, the Graduation Ceremony is also a moment of great magnitude, because it is on this occasion that we can see reflected that our commitment to teaching and learning has been achieved,' Ganassim said in his speech.

The official table was composed of the coordinator of the Production Engineering course and general coordinator of Undergraduate Studies at ESEG, Prof. Marcelo Dias, Prof. Carlos Cerqueira, Prof. Leonardo Macarrão, and Roberta Cavalcante, Academic Secretary. Also present at the graduation ceremony, proud of their students, were Prof. Silvia Boarin, Prof. Fernando Umezu, Prof. Marcel Dallaqua, Prof. João Chang, and Andréa Beiro, the institution's librarian. “Today is a very special day; you have completed your undergraduate studies at an excellent institution and are prepared for the job market. On behalf of everyone, we wish you personal and professional success,” declared Prof. Silvia Boarin.

After the official opening declared by Professor Marcelo Dias, president of the solemn table, and the playing of the National Anthem, graduate Vitória Souza Oliveira took the Engineer's Oath, which was repeated by her colleagues in the audience.

The students honored Professor Leonardo Macarrão and the commencement speaker, Professor Carlos Cerqueira, as well as employee Jaime Bertrando Croppo, a collaborator who actively participated in the students' journey at ESEG. On behalf of all the graduates, Júlia Braga spoke about the joy of the moment, the achievements during their undergraduate studies, and the challenges they will face in this new stage of their lives.

“In recent years, you have faced a series of challenges and managed to overcome them. The word resilience, highlighted by Júlia, portrays this moment. From now on, you will be responsible for the transformations, and I am absolutely certain that you are prepared,” Professor Carlos Cerqueira explained.

After speeches and tributes, it was time to recognize the students with awards for best academic performance and best Graduation Project (TG). The best academic performance award went to graduate Anna Carolina Lacerda Sguizzato, and the prize was presented by Professor Leonardo Macarrão. The best TG award, presented by Professor João Chang, was won by now-engineer Eric Chang, with the theme "What are the main factors for the increase in consumption of RTD segment beverages in Brazil?", developed under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Luiz Fernando Cardoso dos Santos Durão.

The chairman of the board, Professor Marcelo Dias, concluded the ceremony by thanking those present and congratulating the engineers on completing another chapter in their lives, wishing the new professionals success.

At the end of the event, Jorge Cassiano, Eric Chang's father, expressed his deep emotion about his son's journey at Grupo Etapa. 'From my son's earliest years, Etapa has been a part of both his life and the life of his family. In this sense, we share responsibilities equally: the knowledge gained from Etapa and all the family and personal matters for which we are largely responsible. Etapa facilitated this moment because it allowed Eric to be surrounded by people from diverse professional and family backgrounds, which made him a well-prepared individual for the world,' he explained.