GISA Spring 2025 Candidate Profiles: Victoria do Nascimento Houpert for GISA President

In conversation with Victoria do Nascimento Houpert, MINT Gender, Race and Diversity 1st Year.

Q: What makes you the ideal candidate for your role, and how do you believe your background will help you succeed in this position?

Group work in general is a source of motivation for me. I like the complexity of it. The challenges that arise are often due to miscommunication or misunderstandings. In my professional experience, these situations are manageable through open and honest dialogue. What helps me navigate such moments is the exercise of returning to our shared purpose – reminding myself and others why we are doing what we’re doing. My experience at Eduardo Guthler Institute (IG: @depontoavirgula) as President of the Board and as a lawyer has further equipped me to represent people’s interests. This responsibility involves listening and thinking together about creative ideas, especially when everything seems to be catastrophic.

Q: How do you plan to approach the role in a way that ensures the smooth running of GISA’s operations and fosters a collaborative atmosphere?

We have the statute, bylaws, a great executive committee to be elected, engaged class representatives and all students – we have the rules and we have the people. The central question now to pose is: what do we want to achieve and how can we turn this into action? Several concerns were raised in the Master’s Forum, but not only. There’s a need to organize our priorities as a group and design strategies to address them. I value ambition and pragmatism: first we imagine, then we bring to earth to make it possible. I plan to continue the work that GISA has been doing over the last year, with a feminist and intersectional vision.
To ensure a collaborative atmosphere I think that some team-building dynamics within the Executive Committee will be very important – a strong team is a team that values connection. Additionally, we need to continue the work of promoting an inclusive environment, in which I believe that a strong cooperation with student’s initiatives would be crucial to achieve this goal.

Q: What past experiences have prepared you for the challenges of this role, and how will you use these experiences to improve GISA’s efficiency?

My previous experience as a lawyer and President of the association thought me how to manage my time. Having multiple roles demands high organization and time management to have a good balance between work and personal life. I’ve also learned how to navigate through the limitations of the job. For example, as a lawyer I couldn’t promise clients that they’ll get the result intended, but I could commit to pursuing the best possible strategy. The same principle applied during my time as a President of the Eduardo Guthler Institute, I couldn’t ensure that all the audience would become an organ donor, but I could guarantee that the strategies we developed together as a team were carried out with integrity and purpose. Being the President of GISA will be no different in this matter. It’s important to highlight that GISA’s work is about making our decisions progress within the limitations imposed. We’ll need to think a way to navigate through these limitations and find the best compromise between the possible and ideal.

Q: If elected, what would be your primary goal and how would you ensure its successful implementation during your tenure?

Besides the continuation of GISA’s relevant work on decolonizing the curriculum, improving housing conditions, promoting a diverse environment, I also think we should improve the connection between students and GISA. The weekly meetings are a good opportunity to do that, however I know that can be less of a priority to some students. In that case, we could adapt our communication through regular info cards and dynamic videos informing our decisions and administrative processes in our channels in an easy and personal way. To improve connection, I believe that the Fab is a great place to do that. However, after the debate I heard from students that the Fab was not accessible for many with disabilities. My
idea is to make something that is already good into excellent – collaborating with the Disability Campaign team would be essential to make it more inclusive.
Another thing that concerns me a lot is that I’ve been hearing complaints in the hallways of the Institute and at student residences about sexual harassment and rape happening. This is extremely serious, and I think that we should talk more about it in order to strengthen the initiatives already existing and multiply them. For example, while we have structures in place to combat sexual harassment at the Institute itself, such structures are missing in the student housing, where because of social gatherings the likelihood of sexual harassment is higher; My
aim would be to close this gap. I have some ideas, such as creating “care teams” within GISA and integrate prevention messages in housing security and in administration, GISA and student’s initiatives events. To ensure a successful implementation we need to think in the cycle of: first a group conversation within the Board in which we could listen to different perspectives and enrich the plan of action; second build coalitions between initiatives, administration and students and third updated feedback to measure the results and enrich our plan of action.

Q: How do you plan to make GISA more accessible and transparent for students, particularly when it comes to administrative processes and decision-making?

As I mentioned earlier, improving connection and information is my primary goal. Those who can’t attend the weekly meetings, one option would be to create an informative card series posted regularly on our channels, coordinated with the Communications, Vice-Presidents, and Class representatives. If a more personal connection is needed, we could book the Fab to bring people together and to discuss their main concerns, updating them about GISA’s work. The options are here, we need to use our channels and spread the word to let students feel that
their part of GISA.

Q: What are three core values you bring to your role?

I believe that with endurance, creativity and harmony we could do a good job executing GISA’s mission. Every member of the Executive Committee will face certain limitations, but our job is to respond with creative ideas and be persistent! The concerns of students are our concerns – and when the Board collectively identifies an issue as a priority, we must have the endurance to follow through. For this to work, harmony and alignment within the team are essential. These core values – endurance, creativity and harmony – can help us stay grounded while still striving to improve our experiences as students.

Q: Lastly, a few creative ways or plans of action (chance to do something different)

As I mentioned, I highly prioritize open dialogue. I have a plan for improving accessibility and transparency through informational cards – or even short videos – to be shared on our platforms. I also feel that more personal connection is needed, and we should improve our spaces to welcome everybody. Addressing sexual harassment is another priority. Some concrete ideas such as incorporating
the awareness discourse in security rounds in student’s residences, administration, GISA and initiative’s events. Additionally, establishing “care teams” within GISA could create a more approachable and visible support structure, making it easier for students to seek help and access available resources. Finally, if I turn the new GISA Board into a dream team, then my mission is accomplished. I’ve experienced the power of team building and I believe it will be essential to ensure that GISA is a cohesive and effective body. I plan to implement regular internal dynamics – such as reflection circles, check-in sessions, integration day – to align members, strengthen communication and cultivate mutual trust. One of my home countries is Brazil and I carry with me what I learned from my mentors: a leadership model that is collective, plural, joyful and human!