Manuel Sant’Ovaia is a year 6 student and General Coordinator of the 27th Cultural Soirée. He started with the artistic component, with particular emphasis on music, and has played the violin since he was 7 years old, when he entered the Lisbon Music Academy. He studied there until he was 18 years old. For 3 years he was also part of the Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Upon entering the Faculty of Medicine of Lisbon, he did not think he would have the opportunity to maintain his artistic passion. He was pleasantly surprised when he discovered the existence of the Medical Orchestra of Lisbon, in which he became involved since year 1. It was through this group that he became interested in the Cultural Soirée and decided to sign up for the organization of this incredible project. He started this journey on the Organizing Committee in 2017 at the Music Department and this year he became the General Coordinator.

As for the future, he intends to continue to be involved in the Medical Orchestra and believes that his experience in the preparation of the Cultural Soirée will certainly positively impact him as a health professional.

Isabel Ponte, a year 6 student, is fulfilled because she is at the end of her medical degree goal. Along with the passion for medicine, she has another love: drama.                                                                                                                

She started her artistic career in 2011, when she joined the A Pontilha Drama Group, in São Miguel. With the ambition to keep the artistic vein alive, she joined the Catarse Drama Group in year 2. This opened doors to several opportunities at FMUL, including the Cultural Soiree, where she initially participated as an artist. She was welcomed by this team in 2018, as a member of the Organizing Committee in the Department of Script and Drama and, at the moment, she is involved in the General Coordination.

She believes that the possibility of keeping her passion in parallel with her medical career is what, in some way, keeps us healthy. She hopes that, in future, the fruits of what she once sowed with such love will be evident in her day-to-day life.

Leonel Gomes

Editorial Team