Monica Macaes — Growing Dreams

Researcher

Aug 2022 – Oct 2025

Engineered a novel, sustainable innovation to optimize agricultural productivity.
2nd Place, Agrarian Sciences, FenaDANTE Science Fair (134 projects).
Nominated for a technical visit to 3M's innovation hub in São Paulo.
Published in the May Part 2, 2026 issue of the Curieux Journal.

Wet LabExcelData CollectionScientific Writing

Marketing Director — OSDA

Aug 2024 – Oct 2025

Designed a sustainable AI project recognized for outstanding community impact.
Top Special Award, ESPM United Nations SDGs Showcase, Brazil (Dec 2024).
Pitch for the Future — Global Finalist (top 2 in LATAM).
Grew OSDA's environmental-awareness community to 670+ followers.

▶ Pitch for the Future — Finalist video ▶ Technovation Girls — Technical video 2025 📸 @one_step_drives_all 🌱 OSDA app — try it live

AIUN SDGsSustainabilityMarketing

ONG Operation No Global-Damage research poster

Engineering Innovation — Johns Hopkins University

Jun 29 – Jul 25, 2025

Summer program covering data analysis, chemical processes, electronics & coding, materials, ethics, finance, and statics.
"Mission ImPASTAble" — designed and load-tested a spaghetti-epoxy truss bridge.
"Ear Buddy" — built equipment to measure hearing health with Adafruit Circuit Playground.

CodingData AnalysisElectronicsStatics

Scientific Writer

Jun 2024 – Dec 2025

Writer and publisher at Veritas High School Newspaper, read in 25+ countries.
Wrote 8 journal articles on chemistry, engineering, and economics — demystifying misconceptions through science.
Articles reached 150+ readers each.
Lead Researcher, NSRI G16 Environmental division (3-month project).

WritingChemistryEconomicsEngineering

NSRI G16 Environmental — Lead Researcher

Volunteer

Jun 2021 – Dec 2024

Earned the "Generosity Award" (top 2 of ~60) selling Big Mac tickets on McHappy Day for Instituto Ronald McDonald.
Played piano for the elderly at Lar Santana.
Supported people with disabilities at Mão Na Massa.
Planted at the CCSP communal green roof; cooked with children with Down syndrome at Chefs Especiais.

CommunityLeadershipEmpathy

Builder

Dec 2025 – Present

STARCH-LED: developing an efficient insulator for electronic circuits from a sweet-potato bioplastic formula.
Optimized LED electrical circuits as a sustainable solution; collected data and wrote a manuscript.
Built a group Python project on thermodynamics at the Chemical Engineering School in São Paulo (Mackenzie).

📄 Programming project report (2026)

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Academic Projects

Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie & beyond

Fraude no Leite — a physico-chemical investigation applying bromatological methods to milk quality control.
Management in the AI Era — award-winning article for a business management writing competition.
RBL Project — group statistics presentation (Group 3).
Eficiência Energética e Energia Solar — environmental sciences project with industry partner ASP Aeroportos Paulistas.

📄 Milk adulteration article 🏆 Award-winning management article 📊 RBL statistics deck ☀️ Energy efficiency & solar deck

ChemistryStatisticsSustainabilityManagement

Olympiads & Honors

2022 – 2026

2022 ONEE — National Energy Efficiency Olympiad Silver

2022 OBQJr — Brazilian Chemistry Olympiad Jr Bronze

2022 OBMEP — Brazilian Public School Math Olympiad Honorable Mention

2023 O2 — Ocean Olympiad Silver

2023 OBA — Brazilian Astronomy & Astronautics Olympiad Silver

2023 Quimeninas — Girls' National Chemistry Olympiad Bronze

2023 ONC — National Science Olympiad Honorable Mention

2025 OBLI — Brazilian Olympiad of the English Language Gold

2025 TBC — Brazilian Tournament of Sciences Silver

2025 ONANO — Brazilian Olympiad of Nanotechnology Silver

2026 GYC — Global Youth Challenge, "AI and the Future of Work" Bronze · Finalist

2025 Elected Class Representative Leadership

— 6× CISV camps — represented Brazil at the Village Program in Italy (1 month) Global

Outreach Manager — Mission Green Global & Invited Visitor

MGG — international student-led environmental organization (501(c)(3) chapter, São Paulo).
Collected 4,346 books in one month to donate to vulnerable students.
Created recycling, forest, and water awareness campaigns reaching 500+.
Nominated for the 3M Technical Visit to the Customer Innovation Center.
Global Youth Challenge Finalist — "AI and the Future of Work" pitch (Bronze Award).

📄 MGG document ▶ GYC 2026 Bronze Award pitch

NonprofitAIOutreach

Math Tutor

Schoolhouse (Khan Academy): instructed SAT Math to 6 students, improving scores by ~15%; taught STEM and humanities during finals week for 3+ years. 27 tutoring hours · 31 learners across 13 countries · 45 positive ratings.
Preply: 151 lessons taught to 22 students from 15+ countries; prepared personalized material for national and international exams (200+ classes).
100% Mastery certifications: Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1, Algebra 2.

🎓 Tutoring portfolio (PDF)

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Skills & Languages

Toolbox

PythonRExcelCanvaMicrosoft 365

Majoring in Economics & Data Science at UNC-Chapel Hill, with a planned minor in Applied Sciences & Engineering. Member of BRASA — Brazilian Studies Association.

Languages

🇧🇷 Portuguese — native
🇺🇸 English — fluent (OBLI Gold, 2025)
🇪🇸 Spanish — B2
🇮🇹 Italian — 5 years
🇫🇷 French — 3 years
🇩🇪 German — 1000+ day Duolingo streak