João Dias, 28

Hometown: Lisbon - Portugal
Current Location: Pforzheim - Germany

Like many of you who are reading this I sketch since I was really young but I had a school path which is not usual. Despite being a good "artist" I never went to an art school. Why? Because being an artist or designer in my country wasn't - and still isn't - easy. Salaries are low and you'll have big difficulties to find a good job and that was my major reason.

When I finished high school I decided to go for Engineering, it would grant me a better future with a good salary and lots of companies where I could work. Why I didn't finish it? Well because money isn't everything! I was sick of math and physics and I was missing my pencil and paper so I decided to quit Engineering.
I wanted to be a car designer but I had two major obstacles: In Portugal there is no such degree and I hadn't money to go to another country. To solve this I decided to apply for Product Design, which would teach me the bases of Design and then I would apply for a Masters in Transportation Design in another country. Only one thing was left: MONEY! And what can we do without money? Nothing! I then started to work so I could pay my studies.

I finished my Product Design degree in 2010 and after all this adventure I'm happy to say that I was accepted in HS Pforzheim (Germany), one of the best Universities in the World in Transportation Design. I'm a lucky guy and I know that my dream is closer than ever before. Just one thing is left to achieve it:

HARD WORK! =)