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Valentina Cueva

Valentina Cueva

27. 3. 2026 Department of International Relations

Hello! My name is Valentina, and I built a home 10,000 km away from my country :)
In 2023, after finishing high school in Ecuador, I decided to move abroad to study Chemistry and Technology at the Faculty of Chemical Engineering at UCT, where Prague became my biggest experiment.

Why Prague? It’s one of the questions we get asked the most. In my case, the same week I got my UCT acceptance letter, I learned that a figure skating coach from Prague was coming to Ecuador for a course. I couldn’t have asked for more – God set the perfect stage for my next three years: a bachelor’s degree + keeping figure skating in my schedule!

And that’s exactly why UCT felt like the right place from the beginning. I won’t say it’s easy, but challenges make life interesting. At first, I struggled with the lack of resources, representation, and communication. However, together with other international students, we acted. With everything we had to overcome in mind, we co-founded the Full-time International Students Organization (FISO). I truly believe that the collaboration between UCT Prague and FISO has made international students feel more supported and created an environment that encourages them!

Speaking of those challenges, the first thing that comes to mind is the harsh winters, especially the first one. Coming from the equator, even with extra vitamin D, the shorter days and cold weather were tough. Another challenge can be getting a doctor. My recommendation? ASK! You’re not the first foreigner who is sick, has specific insurance, and only knows English.

But overall, Prague and UCT were the right choice! The university academics, professors, and work opportunities at the university are excellent. And more importantly, the prestige of the university is helping me build the path I dream about.

In general, as international students, we’ve come so far to hold back from living life to the fullest. Build community, create spaces, make memories, build friendships from around the world, put yourself out there… so when the time to say goodbye comes, you have things that make it hard.