Maria de Sousa Morais

Maria de Sousa Morais

Brazil

My name is Maria de Sousa Morais, a high school student from Brazil. However, I see the Planet Earth as a whole nation and all humans and animals as part of a giant family, but this vision started with a simple action: looking at the sky.

Since I was a child, I have been in love with the mysteries of the Universe. But the more I looked at the sky more I saw how our planet is perfect and how we are losing it because of ourselves. Since there, I have gone to schools and universities in my country to present workshops and lectures about environmental activism, ecology, and sustainability.

In 2020 I became an official researcher by the National Council of Research and Technology from Brazil (CNPq), with my project of analyzing the global warming’s effects on indigenous and other forestal communities in my country. And In February 2022, I presented that scientific paper at the environmental scientific event for youngness at Harvard University.

In March 2022, I got a selection to participate in the Broadway’s high school initiative by my play theater: A look to the future, which uses the arts to speak about the environmental problems we have been passing on Earth, and that won 3 Brazilian prizes in the JAC (National show of Youngest, Art, and Science – Show Nacional de Juventude, Arte e Ciência): best innovation vies, best theme, and best direction, respectively.

Then, I like to say that I make Science, Art, and Diplomacy with one purpose: to protect my planet and create the world I dream of for all beings. In other words: the girl that looked at the stars to admire the Universe today looks at the ground to help her planet.